ABCs of XYZ
by cjgirl8590
Summary: Alexis has never been on a Pokemon journey before. 26 years old, with a career and steady boyfriend, she finally gets her chance when a group of children come to her workplace. Journey along as she learns how to be a Trainer along with Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own Pokemon. Just the OC Alexis.

ABCs of XYZ

Chapter 1

The sun rose over Lumiose City, promising another fine day in the Kalos region. People began appearing on the streets as smells from the many cafes began to fill the air. Shop owners greeted each other as they set out their signs, while people and Pokemon alike began their day. Pieces of conversations floated through the air, punctuated by the cries of Pokemon or a shout for a taxi.

Two people walked slowly down the street, oblivious to the commotion around them. Professor Augustine Sycamore and his research assistant, Alexis Bryson, were on their way home after a long night. They had been out all night looking for a runaway Pokemon, and had finally decided to stop and get some rest when the sun rose.

Augustine led the way up the steps of the Sycamore Pokemon Lab. He held the door open for his girlfriend, then followed her inside, where they were met by another assistant, Sophie. The young woman looked over her glasses at them as she held out two steaming cups of tea. Alexis' Litleo ambled over to greet her.

"Any luck?" Sophie asked.

Alexis took a cup and knelt to pet her Pokemon. "Nothing. We looked everywhere, but there was no sign of him. I hope he's okay..."

"He'll come back," Augustine said after taking a sip of tea. "He always does, eventually."

"I know you don't need any more bad news," Sophie said, "but Froakie's Trainer called again."

Augustine lowered his cup. "He's giving him up?"

Sophie nodded sadly. "So it looks like we'll have to find a new Trainer for Froakie once we find him."

Augustine sighed. "It'll work out. Someday. Sooner or later, he'll find someone he likes." He held out a hand to help Alexis to her feet. "But until then, we need to focus. For starters, you and I need to get some sleep. Why don't you go ahead and go up to bed?"

Alexis looked up at her boyfriend. "What about you? Aren't you coming?"

Augustine shook his head. "I'm going to rest on the couch in my office for a while, then try to get some work done. I'll go to bed early tonight."

"We'll keep everything under control while you two rest," Sophie promised.

Alexis nodded and picked up Litleo, then gave Augustine a quick kiss before heading upstairs to their bedroom. She went straight to the bed and collapsed, pausing just long enough to remove her glasses. By the time her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

Litleo jumped onto the bed and butted her arm. When he got no response, he used his teeth to grab a blanket from the end of the bed and pulled it up over his Trainer. Once she was covered, he licked her cheek, then curled up next to her.

A few hours later, Augustine was pulled from sleep by the sound of the front door being slammed. He sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes, then grabbed his lab coat and headed toward the entrance. Another new Trainer was probably looking for their first Pokemon.

As he walked up the hallway, a Squirtle fell into step beside him. He took a moment to pet the little turtle Pokemon, but a shout made him keep moving.

"Hello? Professor Sycamore, are you here?"

This visitor was insistent. Augustine yawned. "Coming." He stepped into the entry hall, where a teenage boy and a young girl were waiting. The boy had a Pokemon in his arms.

"Are you the Professor?" the boy asked.

Augustine was about to answer when he noticed the Pokemon. It was Froakie, and it looked like he was badly injured. "Froakie, no!" He hurried over.

The boy looked startled. "You know this Froakie, Professor?"

"I sure do." Augustine turned toward the hallway. "Sophie, come quick!" He gently took Froakie from the boy. "We've been so worried about you. Your Trainer called us." Froakie looked away and closed his eyes.

Sophie came running. "What is it?"

Augustine handed the Pokemon to her. "Froakie needs immediate care."

"Right!"

As she hurried away, Augustine looked down at Squirtle. "Go wake Alexis, please." The little Pokemon hurried toward the stairs.

"Thanks, Professor," the boy said. "We've been worried about Froakie, too. Is his Trainer on the way here now?"

Augustine shook his head. "I'm afraid not. He contacted us to let us know he wanted to give Froakie up."

The Pikachu on the boy's shoulder looked startled. "Pika, pika!"

Suddenly, the front door burst open again and another boy appeared, breathing hard. He stumbled over to them and fell to his hands and knees to catch his breath, nearly losing his glasses in the process.

"You're so slow!" the little girl said.

The bespectacled boy looked up. "How's Froakie?"

"He'll be alright," Augustine assured them. "Come with me and we can see how he's doing."

Alexis was shocked out of a deep sleep by a splash of cold water on her face. She bolted upright and wiped her face before glaring at the Pokemon responsible. "Squirtle! How many times have I told you not to wake me up with Water Gun!"

Squirtle grabbed her hand and pulled toward the door. He was babbling wildly, but Alexis could tell her wanted her to follow him. She grabbed her glasses from the nightstand and hurried after him. Litleo yawned and stretched, then followed.

Squirtle led her downstairs and into one of the treatment labs. "...Sophie is the absolute best at what she does," Augustine was saying. He was standing next to the floor-length windows, facing a group of three kids, two teenage boys and a young girl. They were watching as Sophie worked on a Pokemon. Alexis walked past them and pressed a hand to the glass, where the Froakie they'd been searching for was being treated on the other side. "Oh, Froakie! Is he okay?"

Augustine motioned toward a pair of couches. "He'll be fine, thanks to these young people. I was just about to officially introduce myself to them." He looked at the kids as Alexis sat next to him. "I'm Professor Augustine Sycamore. I'm a Pokemon researcher here in Kalos." He motioned to Alexis. "And this is my head research assistant, Alexis."

The little girl suddenly got up, ran over to Alexis, and grabbed her hand. "You're a keeper!" she exclaimed. "Please take care of my brother!"

Alexis glanced at Augustine, but he looked as clueless as she was. "Um, what?"

The little girl started bouncing on her toes. "You're super pretty, and you must be smart if you work with Professor Sycamore. I think you'd make my brother a nice wife!"

The blond boy with glasses turned as red as a Voltorb. He jumped up and grabbed the girl, clamping a hand firmly over her mouth. "Bonnie, I've told you to stop doing this a million times!" He bowed to Alexis. "Please forgive my little sister."

Alexis smiled and took Augustine's hand as the siblings sat back down. "It's no problem. Sorry to disappoint you, though. I'm actually seeing someone already."

The little girl pouted briefly, but before she could say anything, the dark-haired boy on the other end of the couch spoke. "Nice to meet you. My name's Ash, and this is my partner, Pikachu."

The Pikachu in his lap pricked up its ears. "Pika!"

"My name's Bonnie," the little girl said, "and this is my brother Clemont."

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "It's truly an honor to meet you, Professor Sycamore."

"Pikachu and I got here today from Pallet Town in Kanto," Ash said.

Augustine was impressed. "From Kanto? Then welcome to the Kalos region."

Ash nodded. "Thanks. I'm traveling on a journey so I can become a Pokemon Master."

"I've always thought going on a Pokemon journey would be so cool," Alexis said wistfully.

Augustine motioned to the treatment room. "Forgive me for not thanking you yet for saving Froakie. It's much appreciated."

"Yes," Alexis agreed. "We were out all night looking for him. We were starting to get really worried."

"The truth is Froakie saved us," Ash said. His smile faded. "So what's the deal with Froakie's Trainer? What happened that would make him want to give Froakie up?"

Augustine looked down. "One of my numerous responsibilities is to give young Trainers their very first Pokemon. Froakie is one of the Pokemon meant for new Trainers."

"The problem is," Alexis said, picking up the story, "this particular Froakie is a bit difficult. He refuses to listen to his Trainer during battle. Several times, he's run away simply because he didn't like his Trainer."

"Several Trainers have come back to my lab just to return him," Augustine said. The kids looked surprised as he went on. "I'm sure Froakie acts that way for a reason, but it's made finding a home for him difficult."

"So Froakie's had a hard life," Bonnie said.

Clemont pushed his glasses up. "I've heard quite a few rumors about a new Trainer's first Pokemon acting like that, but it seemed absurd, so I never believed them."

Their conversation was interrupted by thundering footsteps as Augustine's Garchomp walked into the room. He immediately headed over to the glass partition and touched it with his claws. "Gar, gar! Chomp!"

The kids all stood up. "Check it out! It's a Garchomp!" Ash exclaimed.

Augustine stood up and walked over to his Pokemon. "Garchomp lives here at the lab and likes to watch over the other Pokemon. He has a good heart." He reached up and rubbed Garchomp's nose. "Froakie will be just fine. Don't worry." He gestured to the kids. "You can thank these people."

Garchomp turned around as Alexis led the kids over. "Nice to meet you, Garchomp," Ash said. He stepped forward. "You really care a lot, don't you? Froakie's going to be okay. Promise!" He reached up to pet Garchomp.

Bonnie ran over to Augustine. "May I pet Garchomp, too, please? I've never seen a real Garchomp before!"

"Of course," Augustine said with a grin. "Garchomp would really like that." He picked up the little girl so she could reach Garchomp's head.

Alexis came to Augustine's side. "Garchomp may look scary, but he's a big sweetie."

Augustine set Bonnie down. "Yeah. And there are a lot more Pokemon than Garchomp living right here at the lab."

"Oh, I want to see them!" Bonnie cried.

Alexis chuckled. "Well, I think we can do something about that." She took Bonnie's hand and started to lead the kids from the room.

Clemont paused when he noticed Ash wasn't following. "Aren't you coming, Ash?"

Ash was gazing at Froakie in the treatment room. "Yeah, I'll catch up with you."

Bonnie tugged on Alexis' hand. "Come on!"

Augustine told Ash how to get to the sun room, then led the others there. The sun room was a huge, glassed-in room the size of a warehouse behind the lab. It was similar to a greenhouse, filled with grass and trees. There was even a small stream and pond. This was where Augustine kept all of the Pokemon he used for his research.

As soon as they got to the room, Squirtle and Litleo ran forward. They called out, encouraging their friends to come out and meet the humans. Soon, a large group of Pokemon were gathered. Bonnie ran from one Pokemon to another, giggling happily. A Zigzagoon jumped into her, forcing her to sit so it could crawl into her lap.

"Bonnie, be careful," Clemont warned.

Alexis lovingly petted her Beedrill when he buzzed up to her. "All of the Pokemon here are very friendly," she told Clemont. "Bonnie's perfectly fine."

Augustine put an arm around her while they watched the kids marvel over the number and variety of Pokemon. This was part of what their work was about: showing people the wonders of Pokemon. Alexis watched happily as Bonnie and Pikachu played with a group of Marill and Azurill.

"Professor?" Clement said. "I've heard a lot about your research on Pokemon Evolution. Is it true you've made a big discovery?"

"Is what true?" Ash asked, approaching the group.

Augustine grinned and his eyes lit up as he began to talk about his research. "Well, if I told you that Pokemon may have an additional evolutionary stage, what would you say?"

Ash and Clemont both looked stunned. "Are you serious?" Ash said.

"So you're saying that Pokemon like Garchomp can still evolve?" Clemont asked.

"Possibly," Augustine answered. "That's my research. There have been several reports about different Pokemon evolving in a way that we've come to refer to as Mega Evolution."

"Mega Evolution?" the boys repeated.

"A lot of the mechanics are still a mystery, but we believe that a strong bond, as well as a special stone, play a crucial role in evolving."

Ash looked at his Pikachu. "A strong bond, huh?"

"That's not even the best part," Alexis said, tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear.

"That's right," Augustine said. "What's even more incredible, a Pokemon is able to return to it's previous form after it evolves this way."

"It can turn back?" Bonnie asked.

"That's right."

"Is it something that can only happen once?" Clemont asked. "Or can it happen multiple times?"

Augustine shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen it in person yet, so I haven't been able to study is as I'd like. So far, all of my information has come from indirect sources."

Alexis picked up Litleo. "We're hoping to someday get one of those special stones so we can study Mega Evolution up close. We're having a lot of trouble finding them, though, because they're so rare. I've checked with most of my sources, but so far, it seems like not many people even know they exist."

"Sources?" Bonnie asked.

"Alexis is a writer," Augustine explained. "She writes stories about Pokemon, as well as working as my head researcher."

"That's so cool! What kind of stories are you writing?"

Alexis shook her head. "Nothing right now. I've got writer's block."

"I don't get it," Ash said. "How would your writing friends be able to help with finding one of those stones?"

"Journalists and writers have different sources and ways of getting information that aren't available to other people," Alexis explained. "Think about it. A researcher who's just made an important discovery will want to get the news out to the public so he can get recognition and funding."

Clemont nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Everyone looked up as Cosette, Augustine's newest assistant, approached the group. "Excuse me, Professor," she said, "but did you ask a group of researchers here to study Mega Evolution?"

Augustine shook his head. "No, I haven't asked anyone here." He looked at Alexis, who also shook her head. "Why?"

"There's a group of people in the entry hall. They say they're here to study with you."

"That's strange," Augustine said, frowning. "I'll see if I can straighten things out. Thank you, Cosette."

Suddenly, a roar shook the building. Augustine looked up and bolted for the door. It took a second roar for Alexis to recognize that it was Garchomp. He sounded like he was in pain. Alexis cursed and ran for the door with the kids behind her.

An explosion rocked the hallway, followed by the sounds of furniture and glass breaking. Alexis caught up with Augustine at the entrance of the hallway. Garchomp was in the middle of the room, in the midst of a rampage. There was some kind of crackling device around his neck. Froakie seemed to be trying to calm him.

Sophie ran over to them. "Professor! Those three did this!" She pointed at three people dressed in lab coats on the other side of the room.

"All right, who are you?" Augustine demanded.

The trio tossed aside the lab coats, revealing a man, a woman, and two Pokemon. They wore white uniforms with a red "R" on the front.

"Oh, no, Team Rocket!" Ash said.

"You are such annoying bad people!" Bonnie yelled.

"Who's Team Rocket?" Alexis asked.

Ash pointed at the other group. "They're bad guys who always try to steal everybody's Pokemon!"

"Try?" the Team Rocket woman said. "We succeed, don't we, James?"

"Indeed, Jessie," the man replied. "And today, Garchomp will fill that need!"

Their Meowth, which walked on two legs instead of four, jumped between them. "There's nothing like doing an evil deed!"

"It can't be! A talking Meowth?!" Augustine said, amazed. For a moment, he appeared to have forgotten the dire situation.

Alexis grabbed his arm. "This is so not the time for you to be impressed!"

Garchomp roared again and used Hyper Beam, blasting the front door to pieces. He shot another beam in their direction. The kids leapt to one side while Alexis pulled Augustine to the other.

"Why's he attacking us?" Cosette yelled.

Clemont pointed at Garchomp. "Look at his neck! It's some sort of collar!"

"It's from those people!" Sophie insisted. "Garchomp jumped in to save Froakie!"

Garchomp roared again and crashed through the wall and out into the street. Augustine sheltered Alexis as debris from the ceiling rained down around them. As soon as it was clear, they hurried toward the hole in the wall. There was no sign of Team Rocket, but Garchomp was flying down the street, crashing into buildings and cars as he went.

"Garchomp!" Augustine called. The Pokemon either couldn't hear him or ignored him.

Ash ran forward, accompanied by Pikachu and Froakie. "Let's go after him!"

"Be careful!"Alexis shouted as Clemont and Bonnie followed him. She looked at Augustine. "Go. I've got this. Garchomp needs you."

Augustine didn't argue. He simply nodded and hurried down the street. Alexis went back inside, hoping her boyfriend and his Pokemon would be alright. She, Sophie, and Cosette checked on the rest of the Pokemon in the lab. A few of them had been injured in the attack, so the women brought them into one of the treatment rooms.

Cosette turned on the TV to see if they could get some news about Garchomp. She found a news channel showing a view from a helicopter. "...presently flying toward Prism Tower," the reporter was saying. She screamed as a beam of energy filled the screen for a moment. "Garchomp is now unleashing random Hyper Beams!" The camera focused again as the helicopter moved back. "It just aimed on straight at our helicopter! Garchomp seems extremely agitated!"

"Well, that's obvious," Sophie said as she tended an Azurill.

Cosette brought over a bottle of Super Potion. "I hope Garchomp is going to be okay."

Alexis took the bottle and sprayed the medicine on the Combee in her lap. "I just hope Augustine doesn't do anything stupid. I know he cares about Garchomp, but I don't want him to get hurt, too."

"The Professor will be alright," Sophie assured her gently, "and so will Garchomp. You'll see."

Alexis smiled gratefully and they continued to watch the coverage as they helped the injured Pokemon. A few minutes later, the screen showed someone step out onto the deck where Garchomp was. "There's a boy up on Prism Tower!" the reporter said. "Could he be trying to talk to Garchomp?"

The camera zoomed in on the figure. Alexis let out a yelp, startling Combee. "That's Ash! What in the world is he doing?" The camera zoomed back out as Garchomp flew to the top of the tower. Ash put Pikachu and Froakie on his shoulders and climbed up after him.

Sophie looked impressed. "That Ash is really brave."

"Unbelievable!" the reporter said. "That boy has climbed to the top of Prism Tower!" The screen went wild as another explosion rocked the helicopter. Garchomp must have used another Hyper Beam. "It appears that the boy is trying to calm Garchomp."

The camera zoomed out enough to see both Ash and Garchomp. Alexis and the others watched tensely as Ash approached Garchomp, one slow step at a time, ignoring the fading sunlight. Suddenly, red bolts of electricity appeared around Garchomp's neck, He went wild, stumbling back toward the edge of the tower.

"No!" Alexis cried. In that condition, Garchomp probably wouldn't be able to collect himself enough to fly before he hit the ground. She couldn't bear to see Garchomp in so much pain.

On the screen, Froakie jumped up and used his sticky Frubbles to stick Garchomp's feet to the tower. Garchomp continued to struggle, though. Ash ran forward and jumped onto Garchomp, holding him still while Pikachu slashed off the collar. Garchomp fell to his knees.

The researchers breathed a sigh of relief. Garchomp was safe. Alexis and Sophie hugged each other. "Oh, I'm so glad he's okay," Alexis said. "If anything had happened to him, Augustine would have been devestated."

"But nothing happened, and everyone's okay," Sophie replied.

Alexis went to go make some tea to help them all relax. Suddenly, Sophie shouted her name. She hurried back and Sophie pointed at the screen. Alexis looked and gasped.

Ash and his Pikachu were falling down the side of the tower. "...part of the walkway has collapsed!" the reporter said frantically. "The boy and a Pikachu are falling! It doesn't look- wait, what's that?!"

A streak of light shot across the screen. It grabbed Ash and Pikachu, then flew to the ground. The fiery glow faded, and the camera picked up an unusual-looking Blaziken carefully putting Ash on the ground. Ash turned to it, then the Blaziken leapt into the air, disappearing off-screen.

Alexis breathed another sigh of relief. She recognized that Blaziken as the partner of a masked man called Blaziken Mask. The pair saw themselves as the protectors of the city and fought crime together. She wasn't surprised to see them responding to this emergency. She caught a quick glimpse of Augustine talking to Ash before the camera moved away. "Turn it off," she told Cosette, who had the remote. "I think we've had enough drama for one day."

Cosette agreed and turned off the TV. The three women set about cleaning up the debris from the attack. Alexis got her tool box and started patching the hole where the front door used to be.

She was working on boarding up the hole when Augustine and the kids returned. Augustine gave her a tight hug while Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie told her everything that had happened at the tower. Augustine asked about the damage to the lab. "It's not as bad as it looks," Alexis assured him. "Most of the damage was to the entrance hall. There's no significant structural damage, except for this front wall and one of the inside walls. The ceiling will need some repairs, and the rest of the lab will need to be cleaned up eventually. I'll get it all taken care of. How's Garchomp?"

Augustine sighed. "He's okay, but he needs some rest. That device put him through a lot of pain. Let's get this outer wall patched up, then we can figure out the rest tomorrow."

"Let us help, Professor," Clemont said.

"Yeah, with all of us working together, it'll be done in no time," Ash agreed.

"I can help, too!" Bonnie said, holding up her hand.

Augustine smiled. "Thank you, everyone. Let's get to work."

With everyone pitching in, the temporary repairs were finished within the hour. To thank them for their help, Alexis offered to make dinner for them. Augustine sent Cosette and Sophie home for the night and checked on Garchomp and the other Pokemon, then joined Alexis and the kids in the kitchen.

"I could have helped you cook, you know," Clemont was saying.

Alexis smiled as she put a basket of bread and some drinks on the table. "I'm okay, but thanks for the offer."

"My big brother is a really good cook," Bonnie said as she carefully poured a glass of milk. Out of the corner of her eye, Alexis noticed Clemont helping his little sister mop up some milk that spilled.

Augustine picked up a piece of bread and sat at the table. "My Alexis is an excellent cook herself." He turned to Ash. "So tell us about your journey so far."

"There isn't really much to tell," Ash said. He handed a piece of bread to Pikachu. "We just got to Kalos today."

"But this isn't your first Pokemon journey, right? Tell us about that."

As Ash told the story of his first Pokemon journey in the Kanto region, Alexis finished making dinner. She placed a pot of soup and a bowl of salad on the table, then sat next to Augustine. She listened to Ash's story and wondered again what it would be like to go on a Pokemon journey.

It was late by the time they finished dinner. Alexis invited the kids to spend the night and got a bedroom ready for them. Everything was still a mess, but she was able to clean up enough to make sure they would be comfortable.

Augustine and Alexis started getting ready for bed themselves. Alexis was standing at her dresser, brushing her long blonde hair. She couldn't stop thinking about their dinner conversation. Not going on a Pokemon journey was something she had always regretted. Listening to Ash tonight had only reinforced that she had missed out on something special.

Augustine was laying on their bed, watching her. He was thinking about the dinner conversation, too. After a moment, he said softly, "You want to go, don't you?"

Alexis looked at him in the mirror. "I've always wanted to go on a Pokemon journey," she said. "You know that."

"So why not go?"

"What?"

She turned around as Augustine got up and walked over, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I've seen your face every time a new Trainer comes for their first Pokemon. I saw your face tonight when Ash was telling us about his journey. You want so badly to go on one yourself. So go."

Alexis stared at him. "I can't."

"Yes, you can." Augustine took the brush from her and put it on the dresser, then took her hands. "You've said before that you've never had the money for a journey. That's not a problem now that your book has been published. And it can only help your writing. Think how much better your stories will be if you can base them off of real adventures."

Alexis pulled away and rubbed her forehead. This was so sudden. "But what about the lab? And your research? What about you?"

Augustine shrugged. "I admit, things will be more difficult around here while you're gone, but we'll find a way. Maybe Meyer can help out with the repairs. And think of the research opportunities. You could find someone out there that knows more about Mega Evolution than you and me combined. You could even learn about new Pokemon that can mega evolve." He paused and put his hands on her shoulders again. "As for me, I'll miss you more than you can know. But I think you need to do this."

Alexis looked into his gray eyes. "Why are you so insistent on this?"

Augustine gently cupped her cheek. "Because this is important to you. And I want you to be happy. With no regrets."

Alexis couldn't answer around the lump in her throat, so she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly and burying her face in his neck. She loved him so much. After a few minutes, she said, "I need to think about this."

"Okay," Augustine whispered. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and moved away. "I'm going to take a shower." Once he was gone, Alexis walked over to the window and leaned on the sill as she thought hard.

Ever since her parents had given her Weedle, she'd wanted to go on a Pokemon journey. Money had always been a problem, though. Her mother's health wasn't good, so her parents had never been able to afford to send her to university. Alexis had worked her way through on her own. After that, she'd been busy with finding a job and helping Augustine get the lab up and running. Between helping him with his research and her own writing, she hadn't had time to go on a journey, no matter how badly she wanted to.

That wasn't an issue now. Augustine was offering to let her go fulfill her dream. He was giving her the time off and she could certainly afford to go now. Her first book had turned out to be very popular and provided a good income.

Augustine had said that a journey could provide new research possibilities. He was right. As busy as they were at the lab, they didn't have time to do much field work. She could send reports back to him and they could research them together when she got back.

And he was right about her writing, too. She was stuck right now and it would help to have some new experiences to draw inspiration from. Going on a journey would help her grow as a writer.

Alexis stared out at the twinkling lights of Lumiose City. She wanted to go badly. But could she? Not only was there research to be done, but all of the repairs needed to be done, too. She didn't like the idea of leaving her work for others.

And then there was Augustine himself. He filled her life with so much joy. They had been together for a little more than six months now, and every day had been amazing. How could she leave him for so long?

Alexis thought back over the day and remembered the bond between Ash and his Pikachu. The two were closer than any Trainer and Pokemon she'd ever met. They were more like family than friends. Alexis thought about her own Pokemon. They already had a strong bond, but could they grow even closer through a journey, just as Ash and Pikachu had? It wasn't fair to them to not go on a journey just because she didn't want to leave her boyfriend.

By the time Augustine finished his shower, Alexis had made her decision. "I'll go," she told him when he came up behind her.

"Great," he said. "When will you go?"

Alexis pulled back the covers and got into bed. "Well, I was thinking, and Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont are going to need a chaperone. They're good kids, and if it's okay with them, I'll go along with them."

Augustine climbed into bed beside her. "Are you sure you want to leave so soon?"

"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it as soon as possible."

"Alright," Augustine said. He pulled her close. "I'll miss you."

Alexis snuggled against him. "I'll miss you, too," she said with a tender kiss. They both fell silent as they lay in each others' arms, relishing their last few hours together before the morning.

The next morning at breakfast, Alexis asked the kids if she could join them on their journey. They enthusiastically agreed, and the rest of the morning was spent getting ready. It didn't take long for Alexis to pack. Thanks to countless hours of hiking and camping as a child, she was ready to go shortly after lunch.

Everyone gathered outside to see them off. Alexis was bringing Beedrill and Litleo with her, so several of the lab's Pokemon had come to say goodbye to their friends. Sophie and Cosette assured her they would help the Professor as much as possible while she was gone.

"Make sure he doesn't get too wrapped up in his work, okay? At least make sure he eats every once in a while," Alexis said. "You know how he can be."

"Yeah, almost as bad as you," Sophie teased.

The three women laughed as Augustine joined them. "Laughing at my expense again, are you?"

Alexis put her arms around him. "What else would we be laughing at?"

Augustine looked her in the eyes. "Be careful out there, sweetheart. Come back safely."

"I will. Promise. I love you."

His arms tightened around her and he gave her a long kiss. "I love you, too."

Clemont approached them. "Thank you for everything, Professor."

Augustine and Alexis moved apart, although he kept his arm around her. "You're most welcome. I guess your real journey starts now, doesn't it, Ash? Have you received a Kalos region Pokedex yet?" He took one out of his pocket to show the boy.

Ash shook his head. "No."

"Then please take this with you on your journey," Augustine said, handing him the device. "I hope you make good use of it."

Ash took the Pokedex. "Thanks a lot, Professor!" He looked at Pikachu. "Are you ready to go, buddy?"

"Pikachu!"

Clemont took Bonnie's hand. "Good luck with your research, Professor. Bye!"

Alexis gave Augustine one more kiss, then turned to go. The group was stopped short at the gate by the sight of Froakie sitting in the middle of the path. He nudged a Poke Ball toward Ash.

"I think he wants to go with you," Augustine said. "This is marvelous!"

Alexis was amazed. "I can't believe it! Froakie chose you! He must really like you."

"That's so sweet!" Bonnie said.

Ash picked up the Poke Ball. "So, Froakie, do you want to come along with us?"

"Froakie!" Froakie jumped up and hit the button on the Poke Ball, allowing himself to be pulled inside. The button flashed.

Ash grinned. "It's awesome you're coming with us, Froakie! Pikachu, Froakie's our first friend in Kalos!"

"I hope you find many more friends along the way, Ash," Augustine said. "Be careful out there, all of you."

"We will," Ash said. "Thanks, Professor. Bye!"

The group started out. Alexis waved to Augustine and her friends one last time, then adjusted her backpack. Her journey was finally beginning.

A/N: Sorry the chapter is so long. Hopefully the rest won't be as bad.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So where are we going first?" Alexis asked.

"Well," Clemont answered. "Ash has to register for the Kalos League, so we need to go to a Pokemon Center first."

Bonnie ran ahead of them. "Come on, Ash! You can register for the Kalos League over this way!"

"It's probably not a bad idea to get our Pokemon checked out before we leave town, anyway," Alexis said.

Ash looked at Clemont. "It's really nice of you guys to come along with me, Clemont."

"Please, think nothing of it, Ash. I confess, I'm a little in awe of you."

"Really?"

Clemont nodded. "You were willing to risk anything you could to help Pikachu and Garchomp. Just watching you gave me courage. I know I can get stronger by traveling with you. We both can."

Ash turned red. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"It really was, Ash," Alexis said. "You were incredibly brave. I know Augustine is grateful for everything you did for his Pokemon. And so am I."

"That's right," Clemont agreed. "I can totally understand why Froakie chose you."

"Look, there it is!" Bonnie called from the end of the street. "Come on, you guys!"

Alexis chuckled. "We're coming, Bonnie!"

At the Pokemon Center, Ash touched his Pokedex to a computer, registering him for the regional tournament. Nurse Joy gave him a complimentary badge case, then checked out their Pokemon before declaring them good to go.

"Before we go, I want to call Professor Oak," Ash said.

"He's Kanto's regional Pokemon expert, right?" Alexis asked.

Ash nodded. "That's right. He's the one who gave me Pikachu. I want to let him know I got here safely, then he can tell my mom." Ash headed over to the phones while Alexis and the others headed outside to wait.

They chose a spot next to the fountain in the middle of the square. Alexis sat down on the wall and looked at Clemont. "Ash knows that there are Pokemon Gyms all over the region, right? Does he have any idea where to go first?"

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "I think he said something about the Santalune Gym. If that's the case, Santalune City is our first stop."

"Awesome. I have friends there that I haven't seen for a while. It'd be good to get in touch with them again."

"Here comes Ash!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Alexis waved her hand. "Over here, Ash!"

"Thanks for waiting," he said as he joined them. "What's up?"

"We were just figuring out where to go first," Clemont answered. "Didn't you say you wanted to challenge the Santalune Gym?"

Ash nodded, then looked at Alexis. "The Gym Leader was away yesterday, but I'm pretty sure he'll be back by the time we get there."

Clemont held up a small computer and showed them a map. "I think the best way to get there is by taking Route 4."

Alexis nodded and pushed up her glasses. "If we stay on the road, it's a straight shot to the city."

"Then Route 4 it is!" Ash said. He looked at Pikachu, who was sitting on his shoulder. "Aren't you excited, Pikachu?" Pikachu cried enthusiastically. Froakie was sitting on his other shoulder. "You're going to be great," Ash told him.

Clemont put his computer away. "So why don't we hit the road?"

Bonnie jumped in the air. "Let's go!"

"Hang on a minute!" Alexis said.

The kids stopped in their tracks. "What is is?" Ash asked.

Alexis held up her camera. "I want to take a quick picture to mark the start of our journey."

"That's a great idea!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Can the Pokemon be in it, too?"

"Sure," Alexis said. She brought out Beedrill and Litleo, while Clemont released his Bunnelby. She quickly set up her small tripod and programmed the camera, then joined the kids in front of the fountain. A moment later, the picture was taken.

"There," she said, looking at the photo. "A great reminder of our first day."

"I wanna see! I wanna see!" Bonnie cried.

Alexis showed her the picture, then put everything away. "I'll make copies for all of you when our journey is done." She put her backpack on again. "Now, let's get going!"

"Right!" Ash agreed. "Good friends, together! Kalos, here we come!"

The group headed out. After a couple of hours, they had left Lumiose City far behind and were walking through the Santalune Forest. Bonnie was running ahead with Pikachu, Froakie, and Litleo. Several steps behind, Alexis was chatting with the boys, getting to know them better.

Suddenly, the Pokemon stopped walking. "Hey, what's up, guys?" Ash asked.

All three Pokemon were looking at the trees around them. A moment later, a berry fell from one of the branches and bounced off of Pikachu's head, landing at Litleo's feet. Litleo bent to sniff it, but a small jolt of electricity hit the berry, knocking it into Bonnie's face.

"Ow!" she cried.

"What was that?" Clemont asked.

Alexis knelt next to Bonnie. "Are you okay?"

Bonnie nodded. "Wow, that was a shock."

"What was it?" Clemont asked again.

Alexis picked up the berry. "Whatever it was, I think it wanted this."

The grass nearby rustled, and a Pokemon appeared. Pikachu leapt to confront it. It was a little rodent Pokemon with dark yellow and brown fur.

"Never seen that Pokemon before," Ash said.

Alexis recognized it. "It's a Dedenne."

Bonnie was instantly in love. "It's so cute!" she squealed.

The Dedenne took a step toward Alexis, but Pikachu leapt in the way again. Both of their cheeks were crackling with electricity. Litleo was growling softly at Alexis' side.

"It sure doesn't look like it's afraid of us," Bonnie observed.

"This is a pretty well-traveled road," Alexis pointed out, "so it's probably used to seeing humans."

"What are they doing?" Ash asked, looking at the crackling Pokemon.

"They're both Electric types," Clemont answered, "so they can communicate with electricity."

"Oh, so that's an Electric type?" Ash pulled out his Pokedex to confirm that. "Wow."

Bonnie tugged on Clemont's sleeve. "I want it so bad! Hey, you'll keep it for me, won't you?"

Ash was puzzled. "Keep it?"

"Bonnie is too young to be an official Trainer," Alexis explained. "She's allowed to take care of other people's Pokemon, but she can't actually own one herself until she turns ten."

"Yeah. So Clemont can catch it, then he'll keep it for me until I'm old enough to become a Trainer." Bonnie looked up at her big brother. "Pretty, pretty please? I promise I'll take good care of it."

Clemont considered the idea, then agreed when Ash offered to help. "All right, then. Let's catch Dedenne."

"Yippee!" Bonnie yelled.

Alexis handed the berry to her. "Here. Maybe if you give this to Dedenne, he'll start to trust you."

"Right!" Bonnie knelt in front of Dedenne and held out the berry. "Here, Dedenne. You wanted this, right?"

Dedenne sniffed the air, and when Bonnie didn't make any threatening moves, he tentatively took a step forward. Bonnie held her breath as he slowly moved toward her. Just as he was about to take a bite of the berry, a bird shot out of the trees and snatched it away.

"Hey!" Bonnie cried.

Everyone looked up, where the Pokemon was perched in a tree. "I've never seen that Pokemon, either," Ash said.

"It's a Fletchling," Clemont said.

Bonnie was practically jumping up and down with anger. She shoved Ash aside. "No fair! That berry belongs to Dedenne!"

The Fletchling chirped a few times, then tossed the berry up and swallowed it. "Fletchling!" it said in a taunting voice.

Alexis scoffed. "Well, that was just rude."

"Pika?" Everyone turned around at Pikachu's cry. Dedenne looked like he was about to cry. "Oh, Dedenne, what's the matter?" Bonnie asked. Dedenne cried and ran off into the woods. "Dedenne, wait!"

"I don't think he's going to come back," Clemont told his sister. Bonnie started sobbing and threw her arms around him, crying into his waist.

Froakie looked at the distraught little girl and jumped into the air, tossing his Frubbles at the Fletchling. Fletchling swerved wildly through the air, avoiding every shot.

"Wow," Clemont said. "It dodged all of that."

"That's pretty impressive," Alexis agreed.

"Look at that. Fletchling's fast," Ash said in awe. He adjusted his hat. "All right, I'm going to catch that Fletchling!"

The Fletchling landed on the branch again and glared at Ash in challenge. Alexis pushed up her glasses. "Fletchling's a Flying type, so Pikachu has the advantage as an Electric type."

Bonnie was still trying to control her crying. "Teach that Fletchling some manners, Ash."

"Okay, Pikachu, let's go!" Ash said. He was about to order Pikachu to attack when Froakie jumped in the way. Without waiting for orders, he jumped into action. He tried using his Frubbles again, but like before, Fletchling dodged them all.

"Come on, Froakie!" Ash cried. "We don't even have a plan!" He looked down at Pikachu. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leapt forward and started to charge his attack, but again, Froakie stopped him. It seemed he was intent on battling Fletchling himself. He tried using Water Pulse, but Fletchling countered with Double Team, creating several images of himself and causing the attack to miss. The real Fletchling used Peck and hit Froakie hard, knocking him into a tree.

Ash caught him as he fell to the ground. "Froakie, are you okay?" Froakie whimpered, but nodded. "Take it easy. Just let Pikachu handle this."

Froakie looked over Ash's shoulder at Bonnie. "Froakie!" He slipped out of Ash's arms and moved to challenge Fletchling again.

"Wait, Froakie!" Ash cried.

"Hold on," Clemont said, looking at Alexis. "Didn't you and Professor Sycamore say that Froakie had a habit of ignoring his Trainer when battling?"

Alexis nodded. "That's right. This Froakie is kind of rebellious. We don't know why, though."

"I think I do," Ash said softly.

"Huh?" The others said.

"I think I'm starting to get why Froakie acts the way he does." Without explaining further, he ran ahead and grabbed Froakie before he could attack again. "Stop, Froakie! Just chill out! You're only going to end up hurting yourself." Froakie struggled to get loose again. "I know how you feel, Froakie, but you've got to listen to me."

"Ash, look out!" Clemont yelled.

Fletchling was diving to attack again, this time with Razor Wind. Ash and his Pokemon leapt to one side, while Alexis pulled Bonnie and Clemont to the other. When the dust settled, they all checked to make sure everyone was okay.

"Why is Froakie so intent on fighting?" Clemont asked as he helped Bonnie to her feet.

"I understand why," Ash said. "He wanted to get even with Fletchling for making Bonnie sad."

Bonnie ran over. "Is that true, Froakie?" Froakie nodded sadly. "Thank you!" She knelt down and hugged him tightly.

Fletchling was still circling overhead. Ash watched it and said, "You can't get even without a plan, Froakie." He thought for a moment. "Okay, Fletchling can fly. So first we need to figure out a way to lure it in."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Alexis asked.

Clemont chuckled. "You just leave it to me!" He adjusted his glasses, allowing the sunlight to glint off them. "You see, the future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" He pressed a button on his backpack and a long arm that resembled an Aipom dropped a device into his hands. He held it up. "Presenting my Flying-Type Pokemon Attractor Machine!"

"Your what?" Alexis asked.

Bonnie sighed. "The name could use a little work."

"How's it work?" Ash asked. He seemed fascinated by the machine.

"You see," Clemont said, "bird Pokemon have a homing instinct. By using sound waves of a certain frequency, this little invention of mine can attract or repel bird Pokemon by affecting their internal compass. Watch this. Power on!"

As he started cranking a lever on the side of the device, Alexis nodded. "That makes sense, but I'd be careful about using something sound-based in a forest like this. Augustine and I have found that a lot of Bug-type Pokemon are attracted by sound. Will that frequency effect only bird Pokemon?"

"I'm sure it'll work," Clemont insisted.

A high frequency tone started coming from the machine. Ash was in awe. "So cool. Man, science is so amazing!"

Alexis heard buzzing start to come from the woods around them. It sounded familiar. "Uh, Clemont? You should probably turn it off now..."

"Huh?" Clemont was frowning at his machine. "I don't understand. Where are the bird Pokemon?"

Bonnie moved closer to Alexis and pointed at several pairs of red eyes that suddenly appeared in the forest. "Something's staring at us."

Dozens of Beedrill appeared at the edge of the woods. Alexis knew from studying her own Beedrill that certain frequencies not only attracted them, but made them angry, as well. "Clemont, turn it off, now."

"Turn off the machine!" Ash echoed.

The Beedrill started diving to attack. Litleo tried to stand up to them, but there were too many. Alexis scooped him up and grabbed Bonnie's hand and started running. Ash and Clemont were right behind them.

"Clemont, turn off the machine!" Bonnie yelled over her shoulder.

"I'm sure it'll work! Let me try a different frequency!" Clemont said, panting. He fiddled with the device, then started cranking again. As the new frequency was broadcast, Alexis heard the buzzing behind them get louder.

Ash ran toward a canyon. "Stop it, Clemont! You're making the Beedrill even angrier!"

Clemont didn't stop. "I'm sure I can attract the bird Pokemon if I just crank it up to full blast. Here goes!"

The buzzing got even louder, then was suddenly drowned out by an explosion. Alexis was thrown off balance by the blast and fell. The Beedrill were scared off by the explosion, leaving the kids in a daze on the ground.

Alexis groaned and looked at Litleo, still in her arms. "You okay, buddy?" Litleo nodded and jumped to the ground to shake the dust from his fur. Alexis looked at the kids. "Everyone okay?"

"Looks like you blew it again," Bonnie told her brother.

Ash pointed at the sky. "The Beedrill are flying away. We'll be okay now."

Clemont was holding the remnants of his invention. "Why didn't my machine work?"

"It did work, Clemont," Ash assured him. "You attracted all those Beedrill!"

Alexis shrugged. "It might not have been what you were looking for, but at least your machine attracted something."

Clemont grinned. "Huh. I guess it did." His grin turned to a frown. "I must have used too low a frequency. A higher one would probably work a lot better on bird Pokemon."

They heard a trilling call come from above them. Fletchling had followed them and was circling over their heads. "Hey, it's laughing at us," Bonnie said.

"That Pokemon really does need a lesson in manners," Alexis agreed.

Ash looked around at the canyon walls. "Hey, I just got an idea. Come on, Froakie!" Ash got up and ran toward the other end of the canyon. Fletchling was waiting for them, chirping merrily. Ash looked around. "This is it. The perfect place to battle. Time to settle the score."

"Settle the score?" Bonnie asked.

Clemont grinned. "He means he's going to catch Fletchling."

Ash knelt in front of Froakie. "That's right. And we're going to do it together. I'm your Trainer, right? That means it's you and me."

Froakie nodded. "Froakie."

"Great." Ash stood up. "This whole area will be the battlefield. It's full of high and low places. And with your awesome jumping skills, you'll rock."

Bonnie scratched her head. "I have no idea what any of that meant."

Alexis nodded in understanding. "I get it. That's why he said this was the perfect place to battle." She looked down at the little girl. "He's going to take advantage of all the different ledges so that Froakie's jumping skills can really come in use."

"Oh."

The battle began. Froakie leapt from ledge to ledge in an attempt to get above Fletchling. When he got close enough, Ash ordered Froakie to use Water Pulse. Fletchling dodged, so Froakie tried using his Frubbles. Fletchling dodged most of the shots, but Froakie adjusted his aim and and hit it in the face as it came around a corner.

While Fletchling struggled to get the sticky Frubbles off, Froakie leapt to a spot high above it. Ash ordered him to use Bubble. Froakie fired a powerful stream of bubbles at his opponent. One of the bubbles hit and Fletchling started falling to the ground.

Ash threw a Poke Ball. The ball hit Fletchling in midair, then pulled it inside and fell to the ground. Everybody watched as the ball wiggled for a moment. But Fletchling still had some fight left. It broke out of the Poke Ball and squawked angrily.

Ash ordered Froakie to get above it again. Froakie jumped up and with each jump, he got more height and power. He used Water Pulse, and this time, his aim was dead on. The attack knocked Fletchling out of the air again.

"This time for sure," Ash said. He threw the Poke Ball again. The ball pulled Fletchling in again, then fell to the ground and wiggled as the Pokemon inside struggled to get out. A moment later, the button flashed, signaling a successful capture.

"Yeah!" Ash ran over and picked up his Poke Ball. "I caught Fletchling!" He looked down at Froakie, who collapsed next to him. "You okay, Froakie? I caught Fletchling 'cause of you."

"Kie, kie," Froakie said tiredly.

Alexis knelt down to look Froakie over. "He's okay, Ash, just worn out. That was a pretty intense battle."

"Wasn't that amazing?" Bonnie asked. She was jumping up and down with excitement.

Clemont nodded. "Sure was. Froakie's jumping kept getting better. Same with your teamwork."

Ash picked up his tired Pokemon. "Thanks. I'm starting to understand a lot about Froakie."

"We should find somewhere to stop and rest for the night," Alexis said, standing up. "Froakie and Fletchling need to rest after that battle, anyway."

"Ash, can I see Fletchling?" Bonnie asked.

"Sure. Come on out, Fletchling!" Ash threw the Poke Ball in the air and released Fletchling. As he fluttered down to land in front of them, Ash said, "From now on, we're going to be good friends. All of us."

Bonnie knelt down next to the tiny bird Pokemon. "And, Fletchling, tell me if you get hungry next time, because stealing other Pokemon's food is bad."

Fletchling hung his head. "Fletchling."

"Okay, you're forgiven," Bonnie assured him.

Clemont dug in his backpack. "How about an oran berry to celebrate our new friendship? You, too, Pikachu, Froakie, and Litleo." He gave a berry to each Pokemon. They all ate them quickly and cried happily.

Ash stood up. "All right! Let's all head to the Santalune Gym!"

"Let's all head for a campsite, first," Alexis corrected.

Bonnie and Clemont, as well as the Pokemon, enthusiastically agreed. The group continued on for about an hour, until Clemont picked out a good-sized clearing with a nearby stream. They started to set up camp for the night. Alexis helped Bonnie set up one tent for the boys and another for the two of them, while Ash and Clemont built a fire and made dinner. The tents were easy to set up, so the girls finished long before the boys. While they waited, Alexis brought out Litleo and Beedrill to feed and care for them.

After the incident in the woods, Bonnie was a little scared of Beedrill at first, but after feeding him one of his favorite treats, she warmed up to him. Alexis had raised her Pokemon to be very gentle and friendly, so he did his best to make Bonnie comfortable. Alexis showed her how to brush both him and Litleo, and the little girl took great delight in grooming the Pokemon.

After dinner, Ash and Clemont trained their Pokemon while Bonnie and Alexis did the dishes and cleaned up. When that was done, Alexis took a lantern and sat down by the stream to update her journal. While she was writing about the battle with Fletchling, an idea came to her. She took out another notebook and scribbled it down while she could, then finished her journal entry. The second notebook was her writing book. It was filled with various ideas for her stories. Alexis spent some time reviewing them, hoping one of them would take root and grow into a story she could work with.

When she was finished, Alexis turned off the lantern and looked up at the stars above her. She could still hardly believe that she was finally going on a Pokemon journey. Just twenty-four hours ago, she'd been in Lumiose City, eating dinner with the man she loved. Now she was camping in the woods, on her way to Santalune City. Life could sure change quickly.

She overheard Clemont tell Bonnie that it was time for bed. Alexis packed up her notebooks and lantern and walked back to the campsite. Ash and Clemont were making sure everything was secure for the night, while Bonnie finished brushing Bunnelby. Alexis and the boys put their Pokemon away, said goodnight to each other, and climbed into their respective tents.

Alexis was digging through her backpack for her clothes when Bonnie held up her pajamas. "Look! Aren't these the cutest?"

Alexis smiled as she looked at the tan footie pajamas decorated with pictures of Tyrannitar. "Yeah, those are cute."

"They even have a hood that looks like Tyrannitar," Bonnie pointed out. "They're so cute! What about you? Are your pajamas cute, too?"

Alexis held up a pair of shorts and her favorite sleeveless Blaziken Mask shirt. "I wouldn't call them cute, but they work for me." Both girls quickly changed into their pajamas. Alexis turned to put her clothes away, allowing the light to fall on her right side.

"What's that?" Bonnie asked.

Alexis looked up and saw that the girl was pointing at her. It took her a minute to realize that Bonnie must have seen her tattoo. "Oh, this?" She turned her right shoulder toward the light so that Bonnie could see it better. The tattoo was picture of a Pikachu dressed in a red and black superhero suit, with two swords strapped to his back. He was standing with his arms crossed in an attitude of defiance. "It's the main character from one of my favorite movies."

"That's so cool!"

"Thanks," Alexis said with a grin. "I'm gonna get another one, a Dragonair, on my wrist sometime soon."

Bonnie spent several minutes peppering Alexis with questions about the tattoo, before Alexis finally insisted that they get some sleep. They climbed into their sleeping bags and Alexis turned off the lantern. It didn't take long for Bonnie to fall asleep, but Alexis lay awake for a while. The first day of her journey was over, and she couldn't wait to see what the next day would bring.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Alexis was woken the next morning by the sound of laughter outside the tent. It took her a moment to remember where she was. Then another burst of laughter reminded her. She was on her Pokemon journey, along with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She hadn't slept well. She wasn't used to sleeping alone anymore. She missed Augustine.

Bonnie suddenly burst into the tent, interrupting her melancholy thoughts. "Good, you're awake," she said. "Come on. Clemont's about to make breakfast!"

Alexis yawned and nodded. "Okay, I'll be out in a minute." She quickly changed and brushed her hair, then followed Bonnie out of the tent.

Outside, Ash was playing in the stream with Froakie and Pikachu, while Fletchling preened it's feathers on the shore. Bonnie ran over to sit next to the little bird and picked up a brush. Clemont was standing by the firepit, stirring something in a pot.

"Morning," he said when he spotted Alexis.

Alexis yawned again. "Morning. You wouldn't happen to have any coffee, would you?"

"No, sorry," Clemont replied. "There's tea, though." He pointed toward a kettle on the picnic table.

"It's better than nothing," Alexis said as she poured a cup. "Can I help you with anything for breakfast?"

Clemont nodded. "Sure. Can you set the table?"

Alexis nodded and quickly placed four bowls and spoons on the table. When that was finished, she brought out Beedrill and Litleo to feed and care for. Bonnie finished with Fletchling and hurried over.

"Oh, can I help with your Pokemon, please?" She begged.

Alexis laughed. "Sure. You can take care of Litleo while I take care of Beedrill." She showed Bonnie how to brush Litleo the way he liked, then settled down with Beedrill in her lap.

Bonnie seemed to love caring for the Pokemon. She giggled when Litleo pushed up against her and purred. "Look, he likes me!" She exclaimed.

Alexis reached over and scratched Litleo's head. "That's because you're such a nice person. Pokemon are really good at judging character."

Clemont called them all to breakfast. Ash and his Pokemon came running over as Clemont served up bowls of hot oatmeal for everyone. Alexis put down dishes of food for her Pokemon and joined the others at the table. They ate quickly and, eager to be on their way, packed up camp as soon as they were finished.

Ash threw his backpack over his shoulder. "Hey, Alexis, I just realized that I haven't had a Pokemon battle with you yet."

"Um, well..." Alexis said, suddenly embarrassed. She glanced at Beedrill, then sighed and admitted, "I'm actually not very good at battling." At Ash's surprised look, she went on. "I know, people think I should be since I work with a Pokemon professor and all, but we actually don't have to battle all that much to do our research. I know all the moves and type match ups and everything, but I don't have a lot of actual practice."

Ash shrugged. "That's okay. I think the best way to get to know someone is through a Pokemon battle." He scratched Pikachu between the ears. "Pikachu and I have battled a lot since we met. It's part of the reason we're such good friends."

Akexis considered that. Could she grow closer to her Pokemon by battling with them? "You're on, Ash. We'll battle tonight when we stop for the night."

Ash enthusiastically agreed and the group got under way, continuing their journey to Santalune City. Around mid morning, they stopped for a break.

Bonnie noticed that Pikachu had some dirt on his face and pulled him into her lap so she could wipe it off. "There. All done. You're nice and clean." Pikachu jumped off her lap and shook himself.

"That's awesome. Thank you," Ash said.

Bonnie smiled as she petted Pikachu. "Aw, you don't have to thank me. I love doing this kind of stuff, because I love Pokemon." She ran her hand over Pikachu's tail and he squealed happily. "Hey, Ash, does Pikachu like having his tail petted like that?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, a whole lot."

Bonnie giggled and cuddled Pikachu. "What a cutie pie! That's just what I'm going to do!" She continued to pet his tail, making him squeal with happiness.

"Looks really fun," Clemont said. "Let me try." He reached over and petted Pikachu, getting the same result.

Alexis smiled at the three of them as she poured some water for Beedrill. Seeing Bonnie's delight in caring for the Pokemon reminded her of why she had chosen to become Augustine's assistant in the first place. She loved watching people and Pokemon come together.

"Hey, Ash, can you let Fletchling out? I want to take care of him." Ash brought Fletchling out and Bonnie took her cloth and started cleaning his wings. Fletchling loved the attention.

"You're pretty good at that, Bonnie," Alexis observed. "Most Fletchling, as well as other bird Pokemon, love having their wings in perfect order.

Bonnie giggled happily. Clemont smiled at his little sister. "Taking care of Pokemon makes you really happy, doesn't it?"

"Yup!"

Alexis took out a can of Pokemon food and handed it to the little girl. "Here. Why don't you give them a snack before we get going again?"

Bonnie started handing out treats while the others began packing away water bottles and snacks. Suddenly, a tiny blur of orange and brown fur leapt from the bushes and snatched a piece of Pokemon food from Bonnie's fingers. Alexis and the kids watched as a Dedenne ran to the end of the log and stopped to eat the treat.

"Could that be the very same Dedenne?" Clement asked.

Alexis pushed up her glasses. "It's possible. The markings are similar."

"Yeah, the one who ran away!" Bonnie said.

"It must have been following us this whole time," Ash said.

Bonnie grabbed Clemont's sleeve. "Come on, Clemont, catch it, please?"

"All right," Clemont said. He reached for a Poke Ball, but the Dedenne ran off into the brush.

"Come back!" Bonnie yelled, running after it.

"Fletchling, follow it!" Ash ordered.

"You too, Beedrill!" Alexis said.

The two Pokemon flew through the trees. Alexis and the kids followed as quickly as they could. They caught up to Fletchling in a small clearing. Beedrill was buzzing in circles overhead.

"Did you lose it, Fletchling?" Ash asked. Fletchling nodded sadly and hung his head.

"Dedenne, where are you?" Bonnie called. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Suddenly, she tripped and fell.

Alexis hurried over. "Bonnie, are you okay?" It looked like she'd stumbled over some kind of hole in the ground.

Bonnie groaned and looked up. The Dedenne was poking it's head out of another hole, right in front of her. "There you are!" She jumped forward, but Dedenne ducked into the hole. "Hey, wait!"

Alexis saw the tiny Pokemon peeking out of another hole nearby. "There it is!"

Clemont threw a Poke Ball. "Bunnelby, get Dedenne out of that hole!"

"You too, Pikachu," Ash said.

"If we block off all but one hole, Dedenne will have to come out," Alexis said.

Everyone moved to guard one of the many holes while Pikachu and Bunnelby dove into the tunnels. They spent the next ten minutes playing Whack-A-Diglett with Dedenne, but couldn't seem to catch it.

Ash wiped some sweat from his face. "Whoa, that Dedenne sure is quick."

Bonnie stomped her foot. "Ah, I want it now!"

"Calm down, Bonnie," Alexis said. She paused to brush some dirt off her shirt. "We'll get it eventually."

Bunnelby popped out of a hole. "Any luck?" Clemont asked him.

Bunnelby shook his head. "By, Bunnelby."

Bonnie stuck her head in one of the larger holes. "I think it's gone."

"Maybe it got away," Clemont suggested.

"Maybe," Ash said. "Pikachu hasn't come back, either."

Clemont frowned, then knelt to talk to his Pokemon. "Bunnelby, would you mind going back down there and looking for Pikachu?"

"Bunn!"

As Bunnelby dove back into the hole, Beedrill looked at Alexis with a question in his eyes. Alexis nodded. "Go ahead." Beedrill nodded and buzzed away, going off to look for Pikachu and Dedenne from the air.

They waited for over twenty minutes for the two Pokemon to come back. As soon as Bunnelby's head appeared above ground, Clemont asked if he'd had any luck. Bunnelby sadly shook his head. Alexis held up her arm as Beedrill dropped onto it, getting the same response.

"I'm afraid Pikachu might have gotten lost wandering through all those tunnels," Clemont said.

Bonnie grabbed his sleeve. "Clemont! We've just got to find Pikachu!"

Ash brought out his Fletchling again and sent him out to look for Pikachu again. Beedrill went with him to cover more ground.

Several minutes later, the two Pokemon came hurrying back. Beedrill moved behind Alexis and began nudging her forward. Fletchling hovered in front of Ash and chirped wildly.

"I think they want us to follow them," Alexis said.

"You think they found Pikachu?" Bonnie asked.

Ash started running after Fletchling. "Only one way to find out. Come on!"

The group followed the two Pokemon to a steep ravine with a river running through it. It took them several minutes to safely make their way to the bottom, where Fletchling and Beedrill led them downstream. A few minutes later, they saw Pikachu running toward them.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as Pikachu jumped into his arms. "I was so worried about you, buddy."

Pikachu pointed behind him. "Pika! Pika! Pikachu!"

Alexis looked where he was pointing and saw a tiny mound of orange fur in the distance. "Is that Dedenne?"

"Dedenne!" Bonnie cried, running toward it. The others followed her.

Alexis knelt next to the tiny Pokemon. She wasn't as good as Sophie at healing Pokemon, but she knew the basics. It looked like Dedenne was completely exhausted, but she didn't see any serious injuries.

"What are we going to do?" Bonnie asked. "I'm scared."

"What about the Pokemon Center?" Ash asked.

Clemont shook his head. "It's too far. I think we should treat Dedenne right here."

Alexis agreed. "Dedenne is exhausted. First thing we need to do is give it some electricity."

Ash looked puzzled. "How do we do that?"

Clemont chuckled. "Just leave it to me. Remember, the future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" His Aipom arm extended and dropped a device into his hands. "I've got the perfect machine for a situation like this. Presenting my Electricity Generator!"

Bonnie sighed. "Another boring name."

"How's this one work?" Alexis asked.

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "Now observe. If you put a plastic clipboard under your arm and rub it back and forth, the resulting frictions causes the build-up of electrons and creates static electricity." He gestured to his machine. "This brilliant machine uses that exact same principle, which allows it to create a massive electrical charge."

He placed the device on the ground next to Dedenne and pulled a lever on the side. "And power on!"

Two pieces of machinery starting moving, creating the electrical charge he'd spoken of. As the electricity built up, Ash turned to Clemont. "That's awesome! Science is so amazing!'

"You sure this is going to work?" Bonnie asked.

"Sure I'm sure," Clemont insisted. "Just watch!"

Alexis gently placed Dedenne next to the machine and watched as the electricity began to crackle around him. A moment later, he opened his eyes. "Dedenne!"

"Dedenne's awake!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Great!" Ash said. "I think you can turn it off now, Clemont."

"One problem. I can't!" Clemont admitted, holding up the power lever.

"Dedenne, get away, quick!" Bonnie screamed.

Beedrill grabbed Alexis and pulled her back, just as the machine exploded. The blast scared several Pidgey out of the nearby trees. Clemont groaned and sat up. "I guess it's back to the drawing board."

Bonnie ran a hand through her messed-up hair. "Yeah, look at my hair."

Alexis petted Beedrill's head. "Thanks, buddy." Beedrill chittered at her in response.

Dedenne hopped over to them. "Denne! Denne! Denne!"

"All right!" Ash said as he put his hat back on. "Dedenne's sure feeling a lot better."

"That's what counts," Clemont said as Dedenne ran in circles around them. "All's well that ends well."

Bonnie leaned down to speak to Dedenne. "Dedenne, I'm glad you're feeling all better now." She giggled.

Dedenne scampered over to Clemont. "Denne! Denne!"

"I think it's saying thanks for the electricity," Alexis guessed.

Clemont chuckled. "Come on. You don't have to thank me."

Bonnie suddenly jumped up. "Oh, yeah! Clemont, Clemont! Catch it, catch it!"

"Hey, that's right. I totally forgot about doing that." He started to get up, but a shadow fell over them.

"Hold it right there!"

Everyone jumped and looked up. "Huh?"

Above them, a hot air balloon in the shape of a Meowth head floated into view. A man and a woman could be seen in the basket. The man called down. "Now prepare for trouble! The 'it' means you!"

A Meowth jumped up between them as he continued. "Meanwhile, we'll just take Pikachu."

"Giving it to the boss is the least we can do," the woman added.

"By the way, if you're thinking of running, you've got another thing coming."

"Wait a minute. Team Rocket?" Ash exclaimed.

"Weren't they the ones who attacked the lab and tried to take Garchomp?" Alexis asked.

Ash nodded. "That's them, all right."

"Why are you guys always being so mean to Pokemon?" Bonnie yelled.

"Noisy, aren't you?" James said. He threw a Poke Ball. "Inkay, come on!"

An Inkay appeared, flying straight toward them. Ash got ready to send Pikachu into battle. Alexis looked at Beedrill. Should she order him to battle, too?

Before she could decide, Dedenne ran out in front of them and stood defiantly. "Dedenne," Clemont said. "You want to battle, don't you? So you can get back at them for what they did."

Dedenne nodded. "Denne!"

"Great! Dedenne, tackle!" Clemont ordered.

Dedenne charged forward. He leapt into the air to tackle Inkay, but the other Pokemon used Foul Play to toss him to the ground. Dedenne leapt to his feet as James ordered Inkay to use Psybeam. Inkay attacked, but Dedenne was fast. The tiny Pokemon was able to dodge each attack.

"Dedenne, tackle one more time!"

Dedenne leapt again, and this time, he was close enough to make contact. "You're doing great," Clemont said. "All right, now use Nuzzle!"

Dedenne leapt into the air and rubbed his cheeks rapidly. When he hit Inkay, he nuzzled up against him, shocking him with the static buildup.

"Wow!" Bonnie exclaimed. "That move's so cute! I like Dedenne even more!"

"Better yet," Alexis said, "Nuzzle paralyzed the other Pokemon."

"All right!"

"Way to go, Dedenne!"

Pikachu ran out to stand beside Dedenne. "Good idea," Ash said. "Okay, Pikachu, you use Thunderbolt."

"And, Dedenne, you use Thundershock," Clemont ordered.

Alexis made a decision. "Let me help. Beedrill, use Pin Missle!"

The three Pokemon attacked at once. Inkay was blasted back so hard that he was launched into Team Rocket's balloon. The balloon started to deflate, blasting Team Rocket out of sight.

The Pokemon turned back to the humans. Beedrill buzzed up to Alexis and chittered excitedly.

"Pikachu, Dedenne, awesome," Ash said.

Alexis petted Beedrill. "You were awesome, too, buddy."

Dedenne hopped over to Bonnie and rubbed against her, then Clemont. He then scampered over to Pikachu. Both Pokemon's cheeks crackled as they exchanged electricity. Dedenne turned around and Pikachu looked at Clemont. "Pika, pika!"

"Dedenne really wants to come with us?" Ash asked.

"Yeah? Really?" Bonnie said. "Yippee! We'll have so much fun! You'll see!"

"Denne?" Dedenne's eyes got wide and he stared adoringly at Bonnie.

Bonnie grabbed her brother's arm. "Pretty please?"

"Yeah," Clemont said as he took out a Poke Ball. "Now it's time. Go Poke Ball" The ball hit Dedenne on the head and the Pokemon was pulled inside. After wobbling on the grass for a moment, the button flashed, signaling Dedenne's capture.

Clemont pumped his fist. "I did it!" He picked up the ball and turned to Bonnie. "Now, Bonnie, you need to make sure you take good care of Dedenne. This is your chance to practice being a Pokemon Trainer. Understand?"

Bonnie nodded seriously. "I understand."

"Good. Then here you go." Clemont held out the Poke Ball.

Alexis took a picture with her camera as Bonnie accepted the Poke Ball. The look on the little girl's face made her smile. Bonnie held out the Poke Ball and Dedenne appeared in front of them. She held out her arms and Dedenne immediately jumped into her arms.

Bonnie giggled. "Dedenne! Yay!" She looked down at the tiny Pokemon. "Hi there. I'm Bonnie." She turned to face everyone else. "And that's my brother, Clemont. That's Ash and Pikachu. And that's Alexis and Beedrill."

"Nice to meet you," Ash said.

"Denne, Denne!"

Bonnie sat down. "Let me get you cleaned up. You got all dirty from the battle." She took out her cloth and started wiping away the dirt. When she got to his tail, Dedenne trilled, just like Pikachu had earlier.

"Hey, look!" She told the others. "Dedenne likes it when I pet his tail, too!"

"Wow. I never would have guessed," Clemont said.

Alexis put her camera away. "Physically, Pikachu and Dedenne are pretty similar. Both have the electric cheeks and both have pretty sensitive tails, too."

Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder so Bonnie could pet his tail, too.

"You're going to have fun with Dedenne, aren't you, Bonnie?" Ash asked.

Bonnie stood up and cuddled Dedenne. "Yeah. Dedenne is so cute!" Dedenne yawned and curled up in Bonnie's arms. "Huh? He fell asleep."

"This Dedenne is still pretty young," Alexis said. She leaned down so she was on Bonnie's level. "He'll need to sleep a lot so he can grow big and strong."

"Aww." Bonnie opened her bag and gently placed Dedenne inside. "Okay, you can nap in here."

"So, let's get going," Ash said.

Clemont nodded. "Right. Let's hit the road."

"Yeah!" Bonnie shouted. Ash, Clemont, and Alexis all quickly shushed her before she woke Dedenne.

The group continued on their way. Bonnie couldn't stop talking about Dedenne and all the things she wanted to do with him. By the time they decided to stop for the night, Alexis was ready for some peace and quiet. She helped Clemont set up the tents and picnic table, then brought out her Pokemon. She was about to take them over to a nearby meadow for some exercise when Ash called to her.

"Hey, Alexis! Ready for our battle?"

Alexis turned to him and grinned. "Sure. Let's do it."

"I'll be referee," Clemont offered.

"And Dedenne and I will cheer you on!" Bonnie said.

They agreed on two Pokemon each, then went to either end of the meadow. Ash chose Pikachu. Alexis started with Litleo. She knelt next to him. "Okay, buddy. You're up first. I know we don't have a lot of experience, but just do your best. Okay?"

Litleo nodded and affectionately butted her hand. Alexis stood up and called, "Alright, ready when you are!"

"Ready!" Ash answered.

"All right! Battle begin!" Clemont shouted.

Ash didn't waste time. "Okay, Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Pikachu darted forward. Alexis wasn't prepared for his speed. He moved so fast he was nearly a blur of yellow fur as he ran around Litleo. Litleo looked around uncertainly. He couldn't seem to keep track of where Pikachu was from one second to the next.

Pikachu suddenly appeared on his left side and hit him squarely in the shoulder. Litleo went flying, but managed to land on his feet. "Litleo, use Tackle!"

"Dodge and use Thunderbolt!"

Litleo tried to pounce on Pikachu, but the other Pokemon easily avoided him. Pikachu leapt into the air and hit Litleo with a powerful bolt of electricity. Litleo collapsed on the grass.

"Litleo is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner!" Clemont called.

Alexis ran forward and picked up her Pokemon. "Good try, buddy. I'm proud of you." Litleo licked her cheek in response.

"All right. Ready for round two?" Ash asked.

Alexis laid Litleo on the grass next to Bonnie and returned to her place. Beedrill buzzed into position. "Ready!"

"Pikachu, return." Pikachu ran back to Ash's side as he threw a Poke Ball. "Froakie, I choose you!"

Froakie appeared on the field, ready to battle. Clemont shouted for the round to begin. "Let's go, Beedrill!" Alexis ordered. "Use Fury Cutter!"

Beedrill darted forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks with his pincers. Froakie was able to dodge most of them, but the last one hit, knocking him off his feet.

"You okay, Froakie?" Ash asked.

Froakie wiped some dirt from his cheek. "Fro!"

"All right, then, use your Frubbles!"

Froakie leapt into the air and tossed sticky puffs of Frubbles at Beedrill. Beedrill dodged, but one hit his left wing. He started flying in circles and had to land, only to be hit with a powerful stream of bubbles. The attack knocked him back several feet.

"Beedrill!" Alexis cried.

The Pokemon tried to keep going, but he couldn't fly with his wing gummed up. That left him vulnerable to another Bubble attack. The second attack knocked him back even further. He tried to get up, but collapsed. He was done.

"Beedrill is unable to battle," Clemont declared. "Froakie is the winner, which means the match goes to Ash!"

While Ash celebrated his victory, Alexis picked up her Pokemon. "You did great, buddy. I'm so proud of you." She looked up at Ash. "That was a good move, Ash, knocking Beedrill out of the air. He's almost completely vulnerable on the ground."

Ash looked sheepish. "Actually, I think that was an accident. Froakie was aiming for his pincers, but Beedrill dodged a lot faster than he expected." He walked over and held out his hand. "That was a good match, though."

Alexis snorted, but shook his hand. "Hardly. You beat me pretty badly. But I see what you mean about getting to know someone through battling. " She knelt and placed Beedrill on the grass next to Litleo. "Guess this means we have a lot of work ahead of us."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: sorry for the long delay. I'll try to update more regularly in the future.**

Chapter 4

The group arrived in Santalune City shortly after lunch the next day. Ash was so excited that he ran ahead of everyone else. "Yeah!" he shouted. "Santalune Gym, you'd better look out! I'm going to get my first Kalos badge from you!"

Alexis and Bonnie jogged to catch up with him. Behind them, Clemont was struggling to keep up. "Come on, guys, can't you slow down a little?" He huffed. He tripped, falling flat on his face.

"You okay, Clemont?" Alexis asked.

Ash turned around. "Hey, Clemont, hurry up."

"One thing," Clemont said, sitting up, "and I think it's kind of important. Do you have any idea where the Santalune Gym might be located?"

"No clue. Course I don't."

"Then why were you running?" Alexis asked.

Ash jumped up onto a nearby fountain. "Cause I figure stuff out best when I run," he said, pointing off into the distance. "Keep moving ahead and you can't go wrong. That's the way we roll." He grinned at Pikachu.

There was a flash of light. "Thanks so much for the great pic." Everyone turned to see a young woman standing nearby with a camera. "The two of you seem to have the makings of a great team."

Ash grinned. "Hey, thanks. Pikachu's my partner."

"FYI, if you're going to the Santalune Gym, make a right at that corner," the girl said, pointing down the street.

"Yeah?" Ash said. "Awesome! Thanks a lot for the info." He looked at the others. "I told you we can't go wrong. Let's move, Pikachu!" He took off down the street.

"Ash, not so fast!" Clemont called.

Bonnie ran to catch up. "Hey, wait up!"

Alexis paused to thank the girl, then hurried after the kids. A few minutes later, they were standing in front of a large building.

Ash stared up at the Pokemon League symbol above the door. "Wow, we made it."

"Now, if I remember my facts correctly," Clemont said, "the Santalune Gym Leader specializes in Bug-type Pokemon."

"I can't wait to go inside," Bonnie said. "It's going to be fun."

Alexis pushed up her glasses. "This will be my first time observing a Gym match. It should be interesting, to say the least."

Ash started walking toward the door. "Hello in there! I want to challenge you to a battle."

The door slid open and a blur of yellow and black scales show out the door, landing on Ash's face. He fell to the ground.

Alexis burst out laughing. She recognized that Pokemon. "Hey, Helioptile."

"Alexis? Is that you?"

Alexis looked up and saw Alexa standing in the doorway. The two women hugged each other. "Welcome to the Santalune Gym," Alexa said. "Welcome, Ash, Pikachu. It's nice to see you again."

Ash stood up as Helioptile jumped onto Alexa's shoulder. "Hey, Alexa. I didn't know you were here. How do you know Alexis?"

Alexa grinned. "We were roommates at university. And we had a few classes together."

"That's right," Alexis agreed. "We both studied journalism. It was Augustine's and my first year, and Alexa's last. We shared a laugh over how close our first names are and have been friends ever since."

Alexa turned to Alexis. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm finally going on my Pokemon journey," Alexis replied.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're finally going! What about Augustine?"

"He's staying in Lumiose City. I miss him already, though."

"I'm sure."

"So what are you doing in town? Visiting Viola?"

Alexa nodded. "I finished up some reporting and knew that Ash would be here soon, so I waited." She turned to Ash. "So you made some new friends?"

"Yup," Ash said. "I met them in Lumiose City."

Bonnie stepped forward. "Hi, Alexa. My name's Bonnie, and this is Dedenne. And this is my brother."

"I'm Clemont," Clemont said. "It's nice to meet you." He turned to Ash. "So you already knew the Gym Leader?"

"She's not the Gym Leader," Ash said.

"Alexa's actually a Pokemon journalist," Alexis explained.

Alexa nodded. "That's right. The Gym Leader is my younger sister, Viola."

"Viola?" Bonnie asked.

"That's me."

The group turned to see the young woman from the fountain standing behind them. "Nice to see you again," she said.

"You mean you're Alexa's sister?" Ash asked.

Alexis shook her hand. "I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet you."

"So I take it you've already met one another?" Alexa asked.

"Right. At the fountain," Viola replied. "I took a picture of Pikachu and Ash. Alexa said you wanted to challenge me while I was gone."

"I still do," Ash said. "How about it?"

Viola led the way into the Gym. "Sure. Please, come inside."

The lobby of the Gym was decorated with detailed photographs, mostly of Bug Pokemon. Alexis and the kids looked around in awe. "Wow. You took all of these pictures, Viola?" Ash asked.

"Uh-huh. Although, these are just a few of the pictures I've taken."

Alexa patted her sister's shoulder. "She's got quite a talent for photographing Bug types."

"I'll say," Alexis said, turning away from a photo of a Beedrill. "These are amazing. Augustine would love to see them."

"She even helps me out with my reporting from time to time," Alexa continued.

"This is great work," Clemont said. He and Bonnie were looking at a picture of a Combee amid a field of flowers. "It really captures the love you have for your subjects."

Bonnie nodded. "Sure does. You can see how much you care about Bug types." She whirled around. "I know! Viola, you're a keeper!" She ran over to stand in front of Viola. "I mean, please take care of my brother!"

Alexa and Viola stared at her. "Uh...we're a little confused."

Alexis rubbed her forehead. "Not this again."

"Bonnie! I told you to stop this a million times!" Clemont cried.

"You know you need somebody to take care of you," Bonnie protested. "I think Viola would make you a nice wife."

"A nice wife?" Viola asked, stunned.

Clemont grabbed his hair. "Oh, no! This is so embarrassing!" He activated his Aipom arm, grabbing Bonnie and dragging her from the room. "Would you please just mind your own business?"

"I hope you'll think about it," Bonnie called, "please, Viola?"

The others watched them leave. "Such a unique little girl..." Alexa said.

Viola turned to Ash. "So shall we, Ash? How about that battle?"

"Great!"

After collecting Clemont and Bonnie, Viola led them to the back of the Gym, where a a greenhouse filled with plants housed the battle stage. Viola walked to the far end, while Ash took up a spot at the closer side. Alexa, Alexis, and the kids found a spot on the sidelines.

A Gym Worker came over to act as referee. "The Gym Battle between Ash, the challenger, and Viola, the Santalune Gym Leader, will now begin. Each side will have the use of two Pokemon and the battle will be over when either Trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue. Only the challenger may substitute Pokemon."

Viola had a determined look on her face. "My lens is always focused on victory, no matter what. Surskit, go!" She threw a Poke Ball.

"A Surskit, huh?" Ash said as the little blue Bug Pokemon appeared on the field. He looked at Pikachu and nodded. "My first Kalos Gym battle and I'm going to start it off with Pikachu."

On the sidelines, Bonnie started bouncing up and down. "Ash's using Pikachu!"

"That's because Pikachu's got a big advantage over Surskit, who's a Bug- and Water-type," Clemont told her.

"Now, battle begin!" the referee called.

Ash started out with Quick Attack. Pikachu darted across the field, moving with incredible speed. Viola countered with Protect. Alexis glanced at Alexa. "What do you think his chances are?"

Alexa watched at Pikachu used Iron Tail. "Well, my sister is really strong. But from what I've seen, Ash is no pushover."

"I'll say. He pretty much destroyed me in a Pokemon battle last night."

"Destroyed as in...?

Alexis held up three fingers.

"Three moves? Wow..."

Alexis nodded and glanced at the field as an explosion filled the air with smoke. "It gave me an idea of how much work my Pokemon and I have ahead of us."

"You'll get there," Alexa said, patting her shoulder. "You've been studying Pokemon for years. You should be able to pick up on battling in no time."

Alexis noticed that Surskit had covered the field in ice. She pointed. "That's really smart. Surskit will be able to move even faster on ice." She leaned on the railing. "We should go out sometime. We need some time to catch up." Another explosion rocked the field.

"Doesn't look like Pikachu is doing too well," Alexa said. "But, yeah, let's get drinks tonight."

"Pikachu is unable to battle," the referee called. "Surskit wins!"

Ash ran forward and picked up his Pokemon. "Pikachu! You okay?" Pikachu cried weakly, causing Ash to sigh. "You were great out there. Thanks, buddy."

"You trained Pikachu quite well, but he still has a long way to go before he can beat my Surskit," Viola said.

Alexis hurried over to Ash. "I'll take care of Pikachu," she offered. "You go ahead with the match."

Ash nodded and handed the Pokemon to her, then turned to face Viola. "I'll beat your Surskit now with this Pokemon. Fletchling, let's go!" He threw a Poke Ball and Fletchling appeared, fluttering over the battlefield.

Alexis brought Pikachu over to the sidelines as Bonnie said, "Wow, Fletchling will be great! He can attack from above, so the frozen ground won't do a thing."

"A Flying-type like Fletchling has an advantage over Surskit, too," Clemont added.

Alexis stood next to Bonnie. "But Surskit knows Ice Beam. Flying-types are weak against Ice-type moves."

Alexa noticed a young girl standing near the door. "Can I help you?"

"Uh...I was kind of wondering if it would be okay if I watched them battle," the girl said, pointing at Ash and Viola.

"Of course, that would be just fine. Welcome."

Clemont waved her over to where they were standing. "Why don't you join us over here?"

"Yeah, it's getting real good," Bonnie said.

"That's so nice of you. Thanks," the girl said, joining them at the railing.

Ash started the second round with Peck. Fletchling flew high in the air, then dove, aiming for Surskit. The Bug Pokemon dodged and spun around. Fletchling came around for another try. Viola ordered Surskit to use Ice Beam. Fletchling showed off his incredible agility as he dodged beam after beam.

The new girl clasped her hands. "Awesome."

"Yeah, go for it, Fletchling!" Bonnie cheered.

"Surskit, Sticky Web, go!"

Ash countered the attack with Double Team. Surskit fired globs of sticky webbing at the many Fletchling, trying to hit the real one. Clemont ducked as one hit a tree near them. "He dodged everything."

"All right, attack, attack, attack, attack!" Bonnie cried.

"Now, Fletchling, use Razor Wind!"

Fletchling beat his wings rapidly, causing powerful bursts of wind that were like blades. Surskit wasn't able to dodge in time and was knocked out.

"Surskit is unable to battle," the referee called. "Fletchling wins."

"All right!" Ash said as Fletchling warbled victoriously overhead.

Bonnie gave the new girl a high five. "Did you see how totally awesome Ash battles?"

"I sure did."

"Now both sides have just one Pokemon left," Clemont said.

Alexis nodded. "Ash just might win this."

Alexa crossed her arms and smiled confidently. "The match isn't over yet."

"Time to beat your other Pokemon and get my hands on my first Kalos badge," Ash said.

"It's not going to be that easy," Viola said. "My Gym Leader's pride is on the line. Let's do this, Vivillon!" She threw her second Poke Ball.

Vivillon, a beautiful butterfly-like Pokemon, appeared on the field. Based on how well Surskit had performed, Alexis was expecting a close match. Ash ordered Fletchling to use Peck. Clemont nodded. "Good choice. Flying-type moves are super effective against Vivillon."

Viola countered with Psychic. Vivillon caught Fletchling in a psychic field and slammed him to the ground.

Alexis winced. "Ouch. That had to hurt."

"Since I made an ice battlefield, I want you to experience what it's all about!" Viola said.

"Fletchling! You okay? Can you still fly?" Ash called.

Fletchling chirped and fluttered back into the air.

"Vivillon, use Gust!"

Vivillon flapped it's wings rapidly, blasting huge gusts of air at Fletchling. The other Pokemon tried to ride the air currents, but was blown back, right into one of Surskit's webs.

"Oh, no! He's stuck in that Sticky Web!" Bonnie cried.

"Break free!" Ash urged. "You can do it, Fletchling!" Fletchling struggled, but couldn't move.

"A picture-perfect opportunity," Viola said. She held up her hand as though framing Fletchling. "Vivillon, Solar Beam!"

Vivillon flew into a sunbeam. It gathered energy for a moment while Fletchling chirped wildly and struggled to free himself. Vivillon let loose a huge blast of energy at the trapped Pokemon. Fletchling fell to the ground, unconscious.

The referee called the match. "Fletchling is unable to battle. Vivillon wins, which means the Victor is Viola, the Gym Leader!"

Viola recalled her Pokemon while Ash picked up Fletchling. "Are you okay?"

The others joined him. Alexis handed Pikachu to him. "We should get to a Pokemon Center. That battle put them through a lot."

"Pi, pika," Pikachu muttered weakly.

Ash groaned and turned to Viola. "I know I lost, but...I'll come back here stronger. And when I do, I hope you'll let me have a rematch."

Viola nodded. "I'll be looking forward to it. Come back anytime."

"Let's go," Clemont said.

Alexis, Bonnie, and Clemont followed Ash out of the Gym and to the nearest Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy placed the two Pokemon on a stretcher. Everyone watched as a Wigglytuff took them away.

"Don't worry, Ash," Nurse Joy told him. "They'll be better in no time." Ash nodded, but he still looked upset.

Bonnie tugged at Clemont's hand. "Can we wait outside? I wanna play with Dedenne."

Clemont nodded and led his sister outside. Alexis put a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Come on. Nurse Joy will let you know when they're ready."

Outside, Bonnie and Clemont were sitting at a table in the shade. Clemont was tinkering with an invention, while Bonnie was feeding treats to Dedenne. Alexis joined them while Ash crossed to the other side of the yard and sat on a bench.

"Oh, Dedenne, you're such a cutie pie," Bonnie said.

Clemont watched him scarf down another treat. "He must have been pretty hungry."

Alexis brought out Litleo and started brushing him. "Remember, Dedenne is still young. He's going to eat a lot and take lots of naps as he grows."

"You think Ash is okay?" Clemont asked, glancing across the yard.

Alexis followed his gaze. "He will be. I think he's just disappointed about losing. And probably worried about his Pokemon." She rubbed Litleo behind the ears. "Hey, Bonnie, want to have a battle?"

"Me? Really?"

Alexis laughed. "Yeah. We already know that I can't beat Ash yet, and I doubt that I'd be much of a challenge for your brother. You're probably the closest to my level of battling experience. What do you say?"

"Sure!" The little girl was about to get up when she noticed someone approaching Ash. "Hey, it's that girl from before."

"I wonder who she is," Clemont said. "Look, she's got Ash's backpack. Come on. Let's go say hi."

They walked over as the girl handed Ash his backpack. "Hey, we saw you before!" Bonnie cried.

"Before?" Ash asked.

Clemont explained. "She was standing with us during your Gym Battle."

Bonnie raised a hand. "My name's Bonnie, and this is my big brother."

"I'm Clemont."

Alexis waved. "I'm Alexis."

"And say hello to Dedenne," Bonnie said, pointing to the Pokemon on her head.

"Dedenne!"

The girl giggled. "Nice to meet you."

"What do you know?" Ash said. "Sorry, I was so busy battling, I didn't see you there. My name is Ash."

"Yeah, I know," the girl said. "Serena is my name. Do you remember-" She was interrupted by a chime from the building.

""Your Pokemon must be ready, Ash," Alexis said.

Ash hurried inside, where Nurse Joy was waiting. "Thank you for waiting. Your Pikachu and Fletchling are now fully recovered and feeling fine."

The Pokemon jumped eagerly into Ash's arms. "That's great! Thank you, Nurse Joy."

"It's my pleasure."

Ash turned to Serena. "Fletchling and Pikachu, this is Serena. She was with the others watching us battle." Both Pokemon greeted her cheerfully.

"Hi, you two," Serena said. "Nice to meet you." She looked over his shoulder. "Nurse Joy, I was hoping you'd look at my Pokemon, too." She took out a Poke Ball and revealed a Fennekin.

"Whoa. Never seen that Pokemon," Ash said, holding up his Pokedex.

"Fennekin. The Fox Pokemon," the Pokedex said. "Fennekin expels hot air that can reach up to 400 degrees and likes to snack on twigs." Fennekin sneezed, showering the counter with sparks.

"Fennekin is one of the Pokemon that Augustine offers to new Trainers," Alexis said. "Did you visit the Sycamore Pokemon Lab?"

"That must mean you're a new Trainer," Clemont stated.

"Right." Serena nodded. "I just started my journey."

Nurse Joy held out her hands. "I'll be glad to look at Fennekin. Please wait right here while I perform a thorough exam." She took Fennekin into the back.

"Ash?"

The group turned around to see Alexa standing in the doorway. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Alexis asked.

Alexa walked up to them. "It looks like Pikachu and Fletchling are fully recovered. Let me guess. You're gonna start training right away?"

"Of course I am," Ash said, holding up a fist. "You wanna help me out?"

"Sure."

"Can I train with you, Ash?" Alexis asked.

"You bet! It's gonna be awesome! Come on!"

Bonnie grabbed Alexis' hand. "Hey, what about our battle?"

Alexis knelt down to talk to her. "Sorry, Bonnie, I forgot. Will it be okay if we do it later?"

The little girl nodded. She was excited to see how Ash was going to train for the rematch. The group moved outside to the battlefield, where Ash and Alexis readied their Pokemon.

"So what do you want to start with?" Alexis asked.

Ash rubbed his chin. "We need to find a way to deal with the ice field, Surskit's Sticky Web, and Vivillon's Gust. Think you can help us out, Alexa?"

Alexa nodded and took out a Poke Ball. "My Noivern can use Gust, too. Noivern, let's go!"

Noivern, a Flying- and Dragon-type Pokemon, appeared on the field. She flew up into the air.

"All right, let's try to keep our balance," Ash said. "Ready, Alexis?"

"Ready!" Litleo and Beedrill braced themselves. "Go ahead, Alexa!"

"Here it comes! Noivern, use Gust!"

Noivern rapidly flapped her wings, blasting them with strong gusts of wind. The four Pokemon tried to keep their position as they were buffeted. Beedrill and Fletchling were having a particularly difficult time. Alexis and Ash called out encouragement to their Pokemon. Several times, the Pokemon were blown backwards. Ash and Alexis dove to catch them each time.

They kept going, though, despite the setbacks. Things were slow-going at first, but they were making progress. That was all that mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

After several hours of training, Ash and Alexis took a break. Alexis went to get her water bottle from her backpack as Serena joined Ash. Beedrill and Litleo followed her.

Bonnie set down two bowls of water as Alexis walked up. "Here you go, guys," she said. "You deserve a nice cool drink."

"Thanks a lot, Bonnie." Alexis took a long drink herself, then splashed some on her face. "This is harder than I thought."

"You're doing well, though," Clemont told her. "Ash, too. All of the Pokemon are getting better at keeping their balance."

Alexa came over and collapsed on the bench. "Whew. You and Ash are sure putting us through our paces." Her Noivern settled next to the bench and leaned against it to rest. "But that's Ash for you. Once he has a goal in mind, that's all he can think about."

Bonnie started wiping the mud off of Beedrill and Litleo's fur. Seeing the other Pokemon being cared for, Pikachu and Flecthling came over. Clemont knelt down and started tending to them.

Everyone looked up as Ash laughed at something Serena said. He stood up and walked to the end of the battlefield. "Hey, Alexa! Alexis! Let's go! We can't give up till it's over!"

"Alright," Alexa called. She got up.

Alexis knelt in front of her Pokemon. "You guys are ready for another round?"

Her Pokemon nodded and hurried to join Pikachu and Fletchling. Noivern took it's place at the opposite end. Alexa ordered it to use Gust, and Noivern took to the air once more. As the powerful winds buffeted them, Ash and Alexis called out encouragement to their Pokemon. Although Litleo continued to have trouble keeping his footing, Pikachu buried his tail in the ground, anchoring him in place. Beedrill and Fletchling learned how to adjust their wings to fly in the strong winds.

"Awesome," Ash said. "You guys are looking much better."

"Looks like you guys are getting the hang of it," Alexa called. She called off Noivern's attack. "What's next?"

Alexis called her Pokemon back to her. "Well, Ash needs to figure out how to deal with Sticky Web and the ice battlefield."

"Oh, I've got the ice battlefield figured out," Ash assured them.

Alexis was surprised. "Oh, well, in that case, we need a Pokemon who knows Sticky Web."

"You just leave that to me," Clemont said.

"Alright!" Ash cried.

Alexa looked at her watch. "I need to get going. I promised Viola we'd have dinner together." She returned Noivern to its Poke Ball. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

As she walked away, Alexis glanced at the setting sun. "She's right. It's almost dinnertime. Let's get cleaned up so we can eat, then Clemont can show us what he came up with after dinner."

The kids agreed and began gathering up their belongings. They found a restaurant not too far from the Pokemon Center and settled in. Ash was quick to finish his food, eager to get back to training. Alexis wasn't too far behind.

Soon, they were back at the Pokemon Center. Clemont rushed outside and began tinkering with gadgets from his backpack. Before long, he called the others out to the battlefield. "Allow me to help with your training using the very best of my scientific skills," he said. "Remember, the future is now, thanks to science. And the power of technology!" He pulled the cloth off his invention. It looked like some kind of cannon with a tank of liquid on its back. "Presenting my Sticky Web Sticky-Wicket Wacker Wonk!"

"Huh?" Bonnie and Serena said in unison.

Alexis scratched her head. "Say that again?"

Ash had stars in his eyes. "Wow! Science is so amazing!"

"I've analyzed Sticky Web's composition at the DNA level," Clemont said, patting his machine proudly, "and the device is able to replicate its stickiness, color, aroma, and nutritional value to a tee. I'm sure patent approval is right around the corner."

"Sticky Web has nutritional value?" Alexis asked.

"Well, I really don't know what you're talking about," Ash called, "but thanks, Clemont!"

"So let's get started!" Clemont pulled a lever. "Lock on target and...fire!"

Globs of sticky webbing shot out of the cannon, aimed straight at the four Pokemon. They all managed to dodge the shots. Alexis poked at a blob that landed near her. It was just a as sticky as real Sticky Web.

"Careful, guys, that stuff's just like the real thing," Alexis warned.

Litleo nimbly dodged the attacks, bouncing around the field. Beedrill dodged one attack, but missed another one, ending up with a blob of webbing on his wings. Alexis had to pull him back and bring him over to Bonnie to get cleaned up before he could continue.

"This is what I call training with science," Clemont said. "Keep it up! Fire! Fire! Fire!"

The four Pokemon continued to dodge the shots Clemont fired at them. "You guys are looking great!" Ash said.

"Not bad, but you haven't experienced my device working at full power," Clemont said. He turned a dial and reached for the lever. "Maximum level and...fire!"

Nothing happened. "That's odd." Clemont moved around to peer down the barrel. "Something's not right."

The device began to rattle and shake. Clemont jumped back, pointing the barrel straight up. The cannon fired several shots into the air, which came right back down. Some of them landed in the barrel. With the opening blocked, the machine started to back up.

"Quick, Clemont, get away!" Alexis cried.

Clemont scrambled back as the machine creaked dangerously. A moment later, it exploded with a deafening noise.

Bonnie peeked out from behind a bench.. "Looks like another machine went boom."

"Is this gonna be a regular occurrence?" Alexis asked.

Clemont looked at the smoking remains of his invention. "Why?" he groaned. "Why?"

Ash took out a Poke Ball. "Well, in that case, Froakie, I choose you!"

Froakie appeared with a happy rye. "Froakie, kie!"

Ash ordered Froakie to attack them with his Frubbles. The sticky goo was similar enough to Sticky Web that they could continue their training.

"What a clever way to use Frubble!" Clemont said, amazed.

They continued training until Bonnie started nodding off and nearly fell off the bench. Clemont caught her and helped her to her feet. "I think it's bedtime." He looked at the others. "I'm going to tuck Bonnie into bed."

"Thanks for staying up so late and helping me," Ash said.

Alexis hid a yawn behind her hand. "We should all probably get to bed. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow, Ash."

Ash knelt in front of his Pokemon. "Well, we all worked on everything we could. All that's left is to battle Viola as hard as we can. So let's give it all we've got!"

"You'll be great, Ash," Alexis said, petting Beedrill and Litleo. "I'm sure of it."

"It's amazing how hard Trainers and their Pokemon work," Serena said as she approached them. "It takes an awful lot of time and effort to earn yourself a Gym badge, doesn't it?"

"You'll be training like a pro in no time," Ash promised. "You too, Alexis."

"All that training is definitely good inspiration," Alexis agreed. She waved her hand toward the building. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

The next morning, Ash hurried back to the Santalune Gym as soon as he possibly could. The others ran after him. Viola and Alexa met them in the gallery.

"Ready for round two, Ash?" Viola asked.

"You bet! Let's do it!"

Viola led the group to the greenhouse. She and Ash went down to the battlefield, while the rest went to the sidelines. A Gym worker acted as referee again. "The Gym battle rematch between Ash, the challenger, and Viola, the Santalune Gym Leader, will now begin!"

While the referee explained the rules again, Alexis filled Alexa in on the rest of their training rom the night before.

"...so the whole contraption explodes right there in front of us."

"No way!"

"Yeah. So we ended up using Froakie for the rest of the training."

Alexa shook her head. "Sounds like you guys put in a lot of work after I left."

"Yeah. It's weird, though. I've worked with my Pokemon before so I could study their moves, but yesterday's training, it was different," Alexis said thoughtfully.

"Maybe it's because this time you had a different goal in mind," Alexa suggested. "You want to get stronger and battle Ash again, right?"

"Yeah, and hopefully last longer than thirty seconds this time."

"Well, there you go. You're training with a different purpose, so naturally the training felt different." She patted Alexis's shoulder. "Just something to keep in mind. Come on, the match is starting."

They started out with Surskit and Pikachu again. Pikachu waited for Surskit's first move. "Ash and Pikachu, get 'em, get 'em, get 'em!" Bonnie cheered from the sidelines.

Surskit started out with Sticky Web. Thanks to their training the night before, Pikachu was able to dodge flawlessly. "Wow, that's fast!" Serena said. "All that training's really paying off!"

Ash ordered Pikachu to use Thunderbolt. Surskit countered with Protect. Viola ordered it to use Signal Beam next. Pikachu dodged by flipping backward, then used Iron Tail. Surskit couldn't dodge in time and was knocked back near Viola.

"Man, Pikachu's doing great," Alexis said.

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "Iron Tail isn't that effective against Surskit, but considering how Pikachu wasn't able to land an attack at all last time, it was a meaningful hit."

"Let's refocus this battlefield," Viola said. "Time to use Ice Beam and create an ice battlefield!"

"Don't let Surskit use Ice Beam!" Ash cried. Pikachu nodded and tackled Surskit, clinging to its head. "Stay on it and use Thunderbolt!"

"Shake it loose and use Ice Beam!"

Pikachu continued to cling to Surskit. The other Pokemon flailed wildly, firing Ice Beam in random directions. Alexis jumped as one hit near them, covering a tree in a thick layer of ice. "Wow, this battle's getting lively."

Surskit finally managed to shake Pikachu off and used Ice Beam on the battlefield. "Another picture-perfect ice battlefield," Viola said. "Surskit, start skating!"

Just like their previous battle, Surskit was able to move much more easily on the ice than Pikachu could. It was literally skating circles around Pikachu. "This is just like the last battle," Bonnie said. Dedenne cried in agreement.

Serena held up a fist. "The difference is, Ash trained really hard for this one!"

"Pikachu, remember our training!" Ash called.

Surskit used Signal Beam. Just before it could hit, Pikachu planted his tail and got his footing on the ice. Alexis remembered seeing him do that the day before. He blocked the Signal Beam with a Thunderbolt. For a moment, the attacks canceled each other out, then Pikachu's Thunderbolt broke through and hit Surskit, sending it flying.

"Surskit is unable to battle!" The referee announced. "Pikachu wins!"

Alexis and the kids cheered along with Ash and Pikachu. Viola returned Surskit to its Poke Ball and thanked it for its hard work. Ash called Pikachu back to his side.

"You're done battling with Pikachu?" Viola asked in surprise.

Ash took out a Poke Ball. "Fletchling wants a chance for a rematch against Vivillon, too!" He threw the ball and released Fletchling.

"Picture-perfect. Let's do this, Vivillon!"

As Vivillon appeared in the air, Bonnie bounced on her toes. "They won't have to worry abut Sticky Web this time!"

"And Ash can thank Pikachu for that!" Serene added.

"They also have a great counter for Gust," Clemont said. "This is _not_ yesterday's battle, for sure!"

Ash ordered Fletchling to use Steel Wing. Vivillon waited until he got close, then used Psychic. It swung him around in the air several times before flinging him to the ground.

"Be strong, Fletchling," Ash called.

Fletchling got to his feet and back in the air. Ash ordered him to use Steel Wing again. This time, the move connected. He followed it up with Peck, but Vivillon was able to recover and dodge.

"Alright, use Gust," Viola ordered.

Vivillon obeyed, and soon strong bursts of wind were hitting Fletchling. Ash cupped his hands around his mouth. "Remember our training, Fletchling!" Fletchling adjusted his flying, just like the night before. Soon, he was flying with much more stability.

Alexis cheered "That's it!"

Ash ordered Fletchling to use Razor Wind. Instead of fighting its way out of Gust, it spun in place. Puzzled, Vivillon used Sleep Powder. Fletchling's spinning slowed, and he began to fall out of the air.

"Uh-oh," Serena cried.

Viola held up her fingers like a frame. "Excellent! Picture-perfect! Vivillon, Solar Beam!"

The powerful beam hit Fletchling dead-on. When the dust settled, the little bird Pokemon was on the ground, dazed.

"Fletchling is unable to battle!" The referee called. "Vivillon wins!"

Bonnie whimpered. "Aw. Poor Fletchling lost."

Alexa crossed her arms. "There's no way my sister would let Ash win without a real fight."

"That's okay," Serena said. Everyone looked at her in surprise. "We believe in Ash."

On the battlefield, Ash called Fletchling back and sent Pikachu back out. Vivillon started out with Gust. Pikachu was still tired out from his battle with Surskit, and was having trouble staying on his feet.

"Pikachu can't beat Vivillon in that state," Viola said. "I'm afraid you're going to have to wait longer for your badge."

"Yeah, well, there's no way we're giving up!" Ash insisted. "That's not what we're about! We'll keep battling right up until the very end!"

"I admire your persistence," Viola replied. "But this is the end. Gust, one more time!"

Vivillon used Gust, but Pikachu anchored himself with Iron Tail, digging into the ice.

"Pikachu is so cool!" Bonnie cried.

Viola smirked. "Pretty clever, but you just made it easier for me to focus. Vivillon, use Solar Beam!"

Vivillon charged up and fired. Pikachu countered with Thunderbolt. The powerful attacks canceled each other out. Viola followed up with Sleep Powder. Pikachu tried not to inhale the spores, but he couldn't hold his breath forever. He started to collapse.

"Uh-oh," Alexis said. "How's he going to get out of this?"

Serena leaned over the railing. "Pikachu! Ash! You've got to hang in there!"

"Let's finish this up. Solar Beam!" Viola shouted.

While Vivillon charged up, Pikachu struggled to stay awake. "Remember your training!" Serena yelled.

Alexis looked over at her. "Wow. You are _really_ worked up about this battle."

"Oh...uh, I—" Serena stammered. She blushed furiously. "I just really want Ash to win. He's worked so hard."

Alexis patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine, you'll see. I've only known Ash for about a week, but I already know he's a really good Trainer."

An explosion out on the battlefield drew their attention. Alexis missed what happened, but the field was now clear, and Pikachu looked fine.

"Alright!" Bonnie cheered.

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "He neutralized Sleep Powder with an Electric attack on himself!"

"That's so very, very Ash," Alexa said.

"Vivillon, Solar Beam!"

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

The two moves collided in a burst of smoke, then Pikachu's Electro Ball burst out of the cloud. Vivillon was blasted back several feet. It started flying strangely.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leapt into the air and released a massive Thunderbolt. The attack hit Vivillon and the other Pokemon fell to the ground. The match was over.

The referee looked surprised. "Vivillon is unable to battle! Pikachu wins, which means the winner of the match is Ash!"

Pikachu ran into Ash's arms as they celebrated. Alexis and the kids ran down to meet them.

"Ash, that was amazing!"

Bonnie jumped up and down. "I'm so happy!"

"Way to go, Ash!"

"That was incredible!"

Ash thanked them all. "I couldn't have done it without help from all you guys."

Clemont looked sheepish. "Ash, I had nothing to do with your battle, and you know it."

"Nah, your invention gave me the idea," Ash insisted. "I remember how your invention exploded last night, and that's what gave me the idea to have Pikachu use Electro Ball on himself. And that's why this victory doesn't belong to only me. It's all of ours."

"Ash?"

Viola was standing behind them. The referee held out a tray with a Gym badge. "Congratulations. This is to prove you won your Gym battle against me: the Bug Badge."

Ash took the badge and held it up to the light. "Thanks so much!"

Alexa and Viola walked them to the entrance of the Gym. "Keep strengthening the bonds with your Pokemon," Viola said, "and good luck."

Alexa crossed her arms. "Ash, I imagine you're heading to your next Pokemon Gym battle. In that case, how about the Cyllage City Gym?"

"Oh, yeah! That's an awesome Gym," Alexis said.

Ash nodded. "Cyllage City Gym? That sounds great."

Helioptile jumped over to Alexis's shoulder. It affectionately nuzzled her cheek. "You take care, too, Helioptile." She looked over at Alexa. "Let's get that drink next time, okay?"

"Sure thing," Alexa said, nodding.

"Okay, we're gonna head out then," Clemont said. "Thanks again!"

The group said their goodbyes and left, waving as they walked away. The first step of their journey was done. Ash had his first Kalos Gym badge. Now, the second step awaited.

Meanwhile, back in Lumiose City, the staff of the Sycamore Pokemon Lab were standing in a smoke-filled room.

"Seriously, how did this happen?" Sophie asked, coughing as she opened a window.

Augustine looked at the smoking pot in the sink. "I only stepped out of the room for a minute."

Cosette turned off the stove. "You had the heat turned up to high. That's why it burned."

Augustine sighed and his shoulders sagged. "I miss Alexis." He looked out the window and whispered, "Come home soon, my love."


End file.
